Miserere mei, Deus. The prophet prays in his affliction, and praises
God for his delivery.
56:1. Unto the end, destroy not, for David, for an inscription of a
title, when he fled from Saul into the cave. [1 Kings 24.]
Destroy not.... Suffer me not to be destroyed.
56:2. Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me: for my soul trusteth
in thee. And in the shadow of thy wings will I hope, until iniquity
pass away.
56:3. I will cry to God the most high; to God who hath done good to me.
56:4. He hath sent from heaven and delivered me: he hath made them a
reproach that trod upon me. God hath sent his mercy and his truth,
56:5. And he hath delivered my soul from the midst of the young lions.
I slept troubled. The sons of men, whose teeth are weapons and arrows,
and their tongue a sharp sword.
56:6. Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens, and thy glory above
all the earth.
56:7. They prepared a snare for my feet; and they bowed down my soul.
They dug a pit before my face, and they are fallen into it.
56:8. My heart is ready, O God, my heart is ready: I will sing, and
rehearse a psalm.
56:9. Arise, O my glory, arise psaltery and harp: I will arise early.
56:10. I will give praise to thee, O Lord, among the people: I will
sing a psalm to thee among the nations.
56:11. For thy mercy is magnified even to the heavens: and thy truth
unto the clouds.
56:12. Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: and thy glory above
all the earth.