Chapter 56
Be Merciful to Me, O God
1
For the choirmaster. To the tune of “A Dove on Distant Oaks.” A Miktam of David, when the Philistines seized him in Gath. 1Be merciful to me, O God, for men are hounding me; all day they press their attack.
𐤋𐤌𐤍𐤑𐤇 𐤏𐤋 𐤉𐤅𐤍𐤕 𐤓𐤇𐤒𐤉𐤌 𐤀𐤋𐤌 𐤌𐤊𐤕𐤌 𐤋𐤃𐤅𐤃 𐤐𐤋𐤔𐤕𐤉𐤌 𐤁𐤀𐤇𐤆 𐤀𐤕𐤅 𐤁𐤂𐤕 𐤇𐤍𐤍𐤉 𐤀𐤋𐤄𐤉𐤌 𐤊𐤉 𐤀𐤍𐤅𐤔 𐤔𐤀𐤐𐤍𐤉 𐤊𐤋 𐤄𐤉𐤅𐤌 𐤉𐤋𐤇𐤑𐤍𐤉 𐤋𐤇𐤌
לַמְנַצֵּ֤חַ׀ עַל־ י֬וֹנַת רְ֭חֹקִים אֵ֣לֶם מִכְתָּ֑ם לְדָוִ֣ד פְלִשְׁתִּ֣ים בֶּֽאֱחֹ֨ז אֹת֖וֹ בְּגַֽת׃ חָנֵּ֣נִי אֱ֭לֹהִים כִּֽי־ אֱנ֑וֹשׁ שְׁאָפַ֣נִי כָּל־ הַ֝יּ֗וֹם יִלְחָצֵֽנִי׃ לֹחֵ֥ם lam·naṣ·ṣê·aḥ ‘al- yō·w·naṯ rə·ḥō·qîm ’ê·lem miḵ·tām lə·ḏā·wiḏ p̄ə·liš·tîm be·’ĕ·ḥōz ’ō·ṯōw bə·ḡaṯ ḥān·nê·nî ’ĕ·lō·hîm kî- ’ĕ·nō·wōš šə·’ā·p̄a·nî kāl- hay·yō·wm yil·ḥā·ṣê·nî lō·ḥêm — WLC · 1
2
My enemies pursue me all day [long], for many proudly assail me.
𐤔𐤅𐤓𐤓𐤉 𐤔𐤀𐤐𐤅 𐤊𐤋 𐤄𐤉𐤅𐤌 𐤊𐤉 𐤓𐤁𐤉𐤌 𐤌𐤓𐤅𐤌 𐤋𐤇𐤌𐤉𐤌 𐤋𐤉
שׁ֭וֹרְרַי שָׁאֲפ֣וּ כָּל־ הַיּ֑וֹם כִּֽי־ רַבִּ֨ים מָרֽוֹם׃ לֹחֲמִ֖ים לִ֣י šô·rə·rai šā·’ă·p̄ū kāl- hay·yō·wm kî- rab·bîm mā·rō·wm lō·ḥă·mîm lî — WLC · 2
3
When I am afraid, I put my trust in You.
𐤉𐤅𐤌 𐤀𐤉𐤓𐤀 𐤀𐤍𐤉 𐤀𐤁𐤈𐤇 𐤀𐤋𐤉𐤊
י֥וֹם אִירָ֑א אֲ֝נִ֗י אֶבְטָֽח׃ אֵלֶ֥יךָ yō·wm ’î·rā ’ă·nî ’eḇ·ṭāḥ ’ê·le·ḵā — WLC · 3
4
In God, whose word I praise— in God I trust. I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?
𐤁𐤀𐤋𐤄𐤉𐤌 𐤃𐤁𐤓𐤅 𐤀𐤄𐤋𐤋 𐤁𐤀𐤋𐤄𐤉𐤌 𐤁𐤈𐤇𐤕𐤉 𐤋𐤀 𐤀𐤉𐤓𐤀 𐤌𐤄 𐤁𐤔𐤓 𐤉𐤏𐤔𐤄 𐤋𐤉
בֵּאלֹהִים֮ דְּבָ֫ר֥וֹ אֲהַלֵּ֪ל בֵּאלֹהִ֣ים בָּ֭טַחְתִּי לֹ֣א אִירָ֑א מַה־ בָשָׂ֣ר יַּעֲשֶׂ֖ה לִֽי׃ bê·lō·hîm də·ḇā·rōw ’ă·hal·lêl bê·lō·hîm bā·ṭaḥ·tî lō ’î·rā mah- ḇā·śār ya·‘ă·śeh lî — WLC · 4
5
All day long… they twist my words; all their thoughts [are] on my demise.
𐤊𐤋 𐤄𐤉𐤅𐤌 𐤉𐤏𐤑𐤁𐤅 𐤃𐤁𐤓𐤉 𐤊𐤋 𐤌𐤇𐤔𐤁𐤕𐤌 𐤏𐤋𐤉 𐤋𐤓𐤏
כָּל־ הַ֭יּוֹם יְעַצֵּ֑בוּ דְּבָרַ֣י כָּל־ מַחְשְׁבֹתָ֣ם עָלַ֖י לָרָֽע׃ kāl- hay·yō·wm yə·‘aṣ·ṣê·ḇū də·ḇā·ray kāl- maḥ·šə·ḇō·ṯām ‘ā·lay lā·rā‘ — WLC · 5
6
They conspire, they lurk, they watch my steps while they wait to take my life.
𐤉𐤂𐤅𐤓𐤅 𐤉𐤑𐤐𐤉𐤍𐤅 𐤄𐤌𐤄 𐤉𐤔𐤌𐤓𐤅 𐤏𐤒𐤁𐤉 𐤊𐤀𐤔𐤓 𐤒𐤅𐤅 𐤍𐤐𐤔𐤉
יָג֤וּרוּ׀ יַצְפִּינוּ הֵ֭מָּה יִשְׁמֹ֑רוּ עֲקֵבַ֣י כַּ֝אֲשֶׁ֗ר קִוּ֥וּ נַפְשִֽׁי׃ yā·ḡū·rū yaṣ·pī·nū hêm·māh yiš·mō·rū ‘ă·qê·ḇay ka·’ă·šer qiw·wū nap̄·šî — WLC · 6
7
In spite of such sin, {will} they escape In Your anger, O God, cast down the nations.
𐤏𐤋 𐤀𐤅𐤍 𐤐𐤋𐤈 𐤋𐤌𐤅 𐤁𐤀𐤐 𐤀𐤋𐤄𐤉𐤌 𐤄𐤅𐤓𐤃 𐤏𐤌𐤉𐤌
עַל־ אָ֥וֶן פַּלֶּט־ לָ֑מוֹ בְּ֝אַ֗ף אֱלֹהִֽים׃ הוֹרֵ֬ד עַמִּ֤ים׀ ‘al- ’ā·wen pal·leṭ- lā·mōw bə·’ap̄ ’ĕ·lō·hîm hō·w·rêḏ ‘am·mîm — WLC · 7
8
You have taken account of my wanderings. Put my tears in Your bottle— [are they] not in Your book?
𐤀𐤕𐤄 𐤎𐤐𐤓𐤕𐤄 𐤍𐤃𐤉 𐤔𐤉𐤌𐤄 𐤃𐤌𐤏𐤕𐤉 𐤁𐤍𐤀𐤃𐤊 𐤄𐤋𐤀 𐤁𐤎𐤐𐤓𐤕𐤊
אָ֥תָּה סָפַ֪רְתָּ֫ה נֹדִי֮ שִׂ֣ימָה דִמְעָתִ֣י בְנֹאדֶ֑ךָ הֲ֝לֹ֗א בְּסִפְרָתֶֽךָ׃ ’āt·tāh sā·p̄ar·tāh nō·ḏî śî·māh ḏim·‘ā·ṯî ḇə·nō·ḏe·ḵā hă·lō bə·sip̄·rā·ṯe·ḵā — WLC · 8
9
Then my enemies will retreat… on the day I cry for help. By this I will know that God [is] on my side.
𐤀𐤆 𐤀𐤅𐤉𐤁𐤉 𐤉𐤔𐤅𐤁𐤅 𐤀𐤇𐤅𐤓 𐤁𐤉𐤅𐤌 𐤀𐤒𐤓𐤀 𐤆𐤄 𐤉𐤃𐤏𐤕𐤉 𐤊𐤉 𐤀𐤋𐤄𐤉𐤌 𐤋𐤉
אָ֥֨ז אוֹיְבַ֣י יָ֘שׁ֤וּבוּ אָ֭חוֹר בְּי֣וֹם אֶקְרָ֑א זֶה־ יָ֝דַ֗עְתִּי כִּֽי־ אֱלֹהִ֥ים לִֽי׃ ’āz ’ō·wy·ḇay yā·šū·ḇū ’ā·ḥō·wr bə·yō·wm ’eq·rā zeh- yā·ḏa‘·tî kî- ’ĕ·lō·hîm lî — WLC · 9
10
In God, whose word I praise, in the LORD, whose word I praise,
𐤁𐤀𐤋𐤄𐤉𐤌 𐤃𐤁𐤓 𐤀𐤄𐤋𐤋 𐤁𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 𐤃𐤁𐤓 𐤀𐤄𐤋𐤋
בֵּֽ֭אלֹהִים דָּבָ֑ר אֲהַלֵּ֣ל בַּ֝יהוָ֗ה דָּבָֽר׃ אֲהַלֵּ֥ל bê·lō·hîm dā·ḇār ’ă·hal·lêl Yah·weh dā·ḇār ’ă·hal·lêl — WLC · 10
11
in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?
𐤁𐤀𐤋𐤄𐤉𐤌 𐤁𐤈𐤇𐤕𐤉 𐤋𐤀 𐤀𐤉𐤓𐤀 𐤌𐤄 𐤀𐤃𐤌 𐤉𐤏𐤔𐤄 𐤋𐤉
בֵּֽאלֹהִ֣ים בָּ֭טַחְתִּי לֹ֣א אִירָ֑א מַה־ אָדָ֣ם יַּעֲשֶׂ֖ה לִֽי׃ bê·lō·hîm bā·ṭaḥ·tî lō ’î·rā mah- ’ā·ḏām ya·‘ă·śeh lî — WLC · 11
12
Your vows [are] upon me, O God; I will render thank offerings to You.
𐤍𐤃𐤓𐤉𐤊 𐤏𐤋𐤉 𐤀𐤋𐤄𐤉𐤌 𐤀𐤔𐤋𐤌 𐤕𐤅𐤃𐤕 𐤋𐤊
נְדָרֶ֑יךָ עָלַ֣י אֱלֹהִ֣ים אֲשַׁלֵּ֖ם תּוֹדֹ֣ת לָֽךְ׃ nə·ḏā·re·ḵā ‘ā·lay ’ĕ·lō·hîm ’ă·šal·lêm tō·w·ḏōṯ lāḵ — WLC · 12
13
For You have delivered my soul from death,… and my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before God in the light of life.
𐤊𐤉 𐤄𐤑𐤋𐤕 𐤍𐤐𐤔𐤉 𐤌𐤌𐤅𐤕 𐤄𐤋𐤀 𐤓𐤂𐤋𐤉 𐤌𐤃𐤇𐤉 𐤋𐤄𐤕𐤄𐤋𐤊 𐤋𐤐𐤍𐤉 𐤀𐤋𐤄𐤉𐤌 𐤁𐤀𐤅𐤓 𐤄𐤇𐤉𐤉𐤌
כִּ֤י הִצַּ֪לְתָּ נַפְשִׁ֡י מִמָּוֶת֮ הֲלֹ֥א רַגְלַ֗י מִ֫דֶּ֥חִי לְ֭הִֽתְהַלֵּךְ לִפְנֵ֣י אֱלֹהִ֑ים בְּ֝א֗וֹר הַֽחַיִּֽים׃ kî hiṣ·ṣal·tā nap̄·šî mim·mā·weṯ hă·lō raḡ·lay mid·de·ḥî lə·hiṯ·hal·lêḵ lip̄·nê ’ĕ·lō·hîm bə·’ō·wr ha·ḥay·yîm — WLC · 13