Psalm 56: What Time I Am Afraid, I Will Trust
A psalm of fear answered by deliberate, repeated trust in God.
Psalm 56 begins with enemies who 'swallow up' and fight daily, prompting the resolve of verse 3, examined at Psalms 56:3: 'What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.' It shares the tone of betrayal found in Psalms 55.
Show me favour, O God, For weak man hath panted for me, All the day, a fighter oppresseth me:
Mine adversaries have panted all the day, For, many, are fighting with me, loftily.
What day I am afraid, I, unto thee will direct my confidence.
In God, I will praise his cause,—In God, have I trusted, I will not fear, What can flesh do unto me?
All the day, they wrest, my words, Against me, all their devices are for mischief;
They stir up strife—they lie hid, They, mark my steps,—Seeing they have waited for my life.
Because of iniquity, recompense thou them,—In anger, bring thou down, the peoples, O God.
My wandering, hast, thou, recorded,—Put thou my tears in thy bottle, Are they not in thy record?
Then, shall my foes turn back, in the day I cry, This, I know, for God is mine!
In God, will I praise with good cause: In Yahweh, will I praise with good cause;
In God, have I trusted, I will not fear, What can a son of earth do unto me!
Upon me, O God, are thy vows, I will pay back praises unto thee.
For thou hast rescued my soul from death, Wilt thou not [rescue] my feet from stumbling? That I may walk to and fro, before God, In the light of life.