Psalm

A Call to Yahweh in Distress

A psalm of David at his fleeing from the presence of Absalom, his son.[a]

Yahweh, how many are my enemies;

many are rising against me.

Many are saying about my soul,

“There is no deliverance for him from[b] God. Selah[c]

But[d] you, Yahweh, are a shield around me,

my glory and the one who lifts up my head.

With my voice I call to Yahweh

and he answers me from his holy hill.[e] Selah

I lay down and slept;

I woke up because Yahweh sustains me.

I am not afraid of the ten thousands of people

who all around have set themselves against me.

Rise up, O Yahweh; deliver me, O my God;

for you strike all my enemies on the cheek.

The teeth of the wicked you break.

To Yahweh belongs deliverance;

may your blessing be over your people. Selah

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 3:1 The Hebrew Bible counts the superscription as the first verse of the psalm; the English verse number is reduced by one
  2. Psalm 3:2 Or “in”
  3. Psalm 3:2 Meaning uncertain; probably a musical or liturgical direction
  4. Psalm 3:3 Or “And”
  5. Psalm 3:4 Literally “the hill of his holiness”