The Lord a Fortress in Adversity

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

31 In (A)You, O Lord, I [a]put my trust;
Let me never be ashamed;
Deliver me in Your righteousness.
(B)Bow down Your ear to me,
Deliver me speedily;
Be my rock of [b]refuge,
A [c]fortress of defense to save me.

(C)For You are my rock and my fortress;
Therefore, (D)for Your name’s sake,
Lead me and guide me.
Pull me out of the net which they have secretly laid for me,
For You are my strength.
(E)Into Your hand I commit my spirit;
You have redeemed me, O Lord God of (F)truth.

I have hated those (G)who regard useless idols;
But I trust in the Lord.
I will be glad and rejoice in Your mercy,
For You have considered my trouble;
You have (H)known my soul in [d]adversities,
And have not (I)shut[e] me up into the hand of the enemy;
(J)You have set my feet in a wide place.

Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am in trouble;
(K)My eye wastes away with grief,
Yes, my soul and my [f]body!
10 For my life is spent with grief,
And my years with sighing;
My strength fails because of my iniquity,
And my bones waste away.
11 (L)I am a [g]reproach among all my enemies,
But (M)especially among my neighbors,
And am repulsive to my acquaintances;
(N)Those who see me outside flee from me.
12 (O)I am forgotten like a dead man, out of mind;
I am like a [h]broken vessel.
13 (P)For I hear the slander of many;
(Q)Fear is on every side;
While they (R)take counsel together against me,
They scheme to take away my life.

14 But as for me, I trust in You, O Lord;
I say, “You are my God.”
15 My times are in Your (S)hand;
Deliver me from the hand of my enemies,
And from those who persecute me.
16 (T)Make Your face shine upon Your servant;
Save me for Your mercies’ sake.
17 (U)Do not let me be ashamed, O Lord, for I have called upon You;
Let the wicked be ashamed;
(V)Let them be silent in the grave.
18 (W)Let the lying lips be put to silence,
Which (X)speak insolent things proudly and contemptuously against the righteous.

19 (Y)Oh, how great is Your goodness,
Which You have laid up for those who fear You,
Which You have prepared for those who trust in You
In the presence of the sons of men!
20 (Z)You shall hide them in the secret place of Your presence
From the plots of man;
(AA)You shall keep them secretly in a [i]pavilion
From the strife of tongues.

21 Blessed be the Lord,
For (AB)He has shown me His marvelous kindness in a [j]strong city!
22 For I said in my haste,
“I am cut off from before Your eyes”;
Nevertheless You heard the voice of my supplications
When I cried out to You.

23 Oh, love the Lord, all you His saints!
For the Lord preserves the faithful,
And fully repays the proud person.
24 (AC)Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart,
All you who hope in the Lord.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 31:1 have taken refuge
  2. Psalm 31:2 strength
  3. Psalm 31:2 Lit. house of fortresses
  4. Psalm 31:7 troubles
  5. Psalm 31:8 given me over
  6. Psalm 31:9 Lit. belly
  7. Psalm 31:11 despised thing
  8. Psalm 31:12 Lit. perishing
  9. Psalm 31:20 shelter
  10. Psalm 31:21 fortified

Into Your Hand I Commit My Spirit

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

31 (A)In you, O Lord, do I (B)take refuge;
    (C)let me never be put to shame;
    in your (D)righteousness deliver me!
Incline your ear to me;
    rescue me speedily!
Be (E)a rock of (F)refuge for me,
    a strong fortress to save me!

For you are my rock and my fortress;
    and for your (G)name's sake you lead me and guide me;
you (H)take me out of (I)the net they have hidden for me,
    for you are my (J)refuge.
(K)Into your hand I commit my spirit;
    you have redeemed me, O Lord, (L)faithful God.

I (M)hate[a] those who pay (N)regard to worthless (O)idols,
    but I trust in the Lord.
I will rejoice and be glad in your steadfast love,
    because you have seen my affliction;
    you have (P)known the distress of my soul,
and you have not (Q)delivered me into the hand of the enemy;
    you have set my feet in (R)a broad place.

Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am (S)in distress;
    (T)my eye is wasted from grief;
    my soul and my body also.
10 For my life is spent with sorrow,
    and my years with sighing;
my strength fails because of my iniquity,
    and (U)my bones waste away.

11 Because of all my adversaries I have become (V)a reproach,
    especially to my (W)neighbors,
and an object of dread to my acquaintances;
    those who see me in the street (X)flee from me.
12 I have been (Y)forgotten like one who is dead;
    I have become like (Z)a broken vessel.
13 For I (AA)hear the whispering of many—
    terror on every side!—
(AB)as they scheme together against me,
    as they plot to take my life.

14 But I (AC)trust in you, O Lord;
    I say, “You are my God.”
15 My (AD)times are in your hand;
    (AE)rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from my persecutors!
16 (AF)Make your face shine on your servant;
    save me in your steadfast love!
17 O Lord, (AG)let me not be put to shame,
    for I call upon you;
let the wicked be put to shame;
    let them go (AH)silently to Sheol.
18 Let the lying lips be mute,
    which (AI)speak (AJ)insolently against the righteous
    in pride and contempt.

19 Oh, how abundant is your goodness,
    which you have stored up for those who fear you
and worked for those who take refuge in you,
    (AK)in the sight of the children of mankind!
20 In (AL)the cover of your presence you hide them
    from the plots of men;
you (AM)store them in your shelter
    from the strife of tongues.

21 Blessed be the Lord,
    for he has wondrously (AN)shown his steadfast love to me
    when I was in (AO)a besieged city.
22 I had said in my (AP)alarm,[b]
    “I am (AQ)cut off from (AR)your sight.”
But you heard the voice of my pleas for mercy
    when I cried to you for help.

23 Love the Lord, all you his (AS)saints!
    The Lord preserves the faithful
    but abundantly (AT)repays the one who acts in pride.
24 (AU)Be strong, and let your heart take courage,
    all you who wait for the Lord!

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 31:6 Masoretic Text; one Hebrew manuscript, Septuagint, Syriac, Jerome You hate
  2. Psalm 31:22 Or in my haste