Psalm 3
The full text of Psalm 3 in the Trinity Bible Version — clear modern English, translated from the original Hebrew. Free to read.
A psalm of David, when he fled from Absalom his son.
1 O LORD, how many are my foes!
Many are those who rise against me.
2 Many say of my soul,
"There is no salvation for him in God." Selah
3 But you, O LORD, are a shield around me,
my glory, and the one who lifts my head.
4 With my voice I cry out to the LORD,
and he answers me from his holy mountain. Selah
5 I lie down and sleep;
I wake again, for the LORD sustains me.
6 I will not fear the multitudes of people
who have set themselves against me all around.
7 Rise up, O LORD! Save me, O my God!
For you strike all my enemies on the jaw;
you shatter the teeth of the wicked.
8 Salvation belongs to the LORD;
your blessing is upon your people. Selah
Translation notes (3)
- Psalm 3:2a The Hebrew word selah is likely a liturgical or musical notation, but its exact meaning is uncertain.
- Psalm 3:5a In the ancient Near East, sleep left a fugitive utterly defenseless, so the psalmist's untroubled rest amid pursuit is itself a confession of trust. The verb samakh (סָמַךְ), 'to uphold' or 'sustain', pictures the LORD as the one bearing the sleeper's weight through the night.
- Psalm 3:7a The Hebrew verbs are perfects, expressing either past deliverances or confident certainty of the outcome. Striking the lechi, 'jaw', and shattering the teeth depict enemies as wild beasts rendered harmless, an ancient idiom of contemptuous, decisive defeat rather than a literal blow.
About this translation
You are reading the Trinity Bible Version (TBV) — an original 2026 translation made straight from the Hebrew, in clear modern English, exclusive to Trinity Bible. Every chapter of every book is free to read online. For the study edition — with Hebrew and Greek on every verse and the full translation notes — open Psalms in the Trinity Bible app.
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