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To the Director: A Davidic Psalm.

Prayer and Thanksgiving

31 In you, Lord, I have taken refuge.
    Let me never be ashamed.
        Because you are righteous, deliver me!
Listen to me,
    and deliver me quickly.
Become a rock of safety for me,
    a fortified citadel to deliver me;

For you are my rock and my fortress;
    for the sake of your name guide me and lead me.
Rescue me from the net that they concealed to trap me;
    for you are my strength.
Into your hands I commit my spirit;
    for you have redeemed me,
        Lord God of truth.

I despise those who trust vain idols;
    but I have trusted in the Lord.
I will rejoice and be glad in your gracious love,
    for you see my affliction
        and take note that my soul is distressed.
You have not delivered me into the hand of the enemy,
    but you have set my feet in a sturdy[a] place.

Be gracious to me, Lord,
    for I am in distress.
My eyes have been consumed by my grief
    along with my soul and my body.
10 My life is consumed by sorrow,
    my years with groaning.
My strength has faltered because of my iniquity;[b]
    my bones have been consumed.

11 I have become an object of reproach to all my enemies,
    especially to my neighbors.
I have become an object of fear to my friends,
    and whoever sees me outside runs away from me.
12 Like a dead man, I am forgotten in their thoughts[c]
    like broken pottery.
13 I have heard the slander of many;
    it is like terror all around me,
        as they conspire together and plot to take my life.

14 But I trust in you, Lord.
    I say, “You are my God.”
15 My times are in your hands.
    Deliver me from the hands of my enemies
        and from those who pursue me.
16 May your face shine on your servant;
    in your gracious love, deliver me.
17 Let me not be ashamed, Lord,
    for I have called upon you.
Let the wicked be put to shame,
    let them be silent in the next life.[d]
18 Let the lying lips be made still,
    especially those who speak arrogantly
        against the righteous with pride and contempt.

19 How great is your goodness
    that you have reserved for those who fear you,
that you have set in place for those who take refuge in you,
    in the presence of the children of men.
20 You will hide them in the secret place of your presence,
    away from the conspiracies of men.
You will hide them in your tent,
    away from their contentious tongues.

21 Blessed be the Lord!
    In a marvelous way he demonstrated his gracious love to me,
        when I was in a city under siege.
22 When I said in my panic,
    “I have been cut off in your sight,”
then you surely heard the voice of my prayer
    in my plea to you for help.
23 Love the Lord, all his godly ones!
    The Lord preserves the faithful
        and repays those who act with proud motives.
24 Be strong,
    and let your heart be courageous,
        all you who put your hope in the Lord.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 31:8 Lit. broad
  2. Psalm 31:10 So MT DSS 5/6HevPs; LXX reads strength grew weak in poverty
  3. Psalm 31:12 Lit. hearts
  4. Psalm 31:17 Lit. in Sheol; i.e. the realm of the dead

Psalm 31[a](A)

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

In you, Lord, I have taken refuge;(B)
    let me never be put to shame;
    deliver me in your righteousness.(C)
Turn your ear to me,(D)
    come quickly to my rescue;(E)
be my rock of refuge,(F)
    a strong fortress to save me.
Since you are my rock and my fortress,(G)
    for the sake of your name(H) lead and guide me.
Keep me free from the trap(I) that is set for me,
    for you are my refuge.(J)
Into your hands I commit my spirit;(K)
    deliver me, Lord, my faithful God.(L)

I hate those who cling to worthless idols;(M)
    as for me, I trust in the Lord.(N)
I will be glad and rejoice in your love,
    for you saw my affliction(O)
    and knew the anguish(P) of my soul.
You have not given me into the hands(Q) of the enemy
    but have set my feet in a spacious place.(R)

Be merciful to me, Lord, for I am in distress;(S)
    my eyes grow weak with sorrow,(T)
    my soul and body(U) with grief.
10 My life is consumed by anguish(V)
    and my years by groaning;(W)
my strength fails(X) because of my affliction,[b](Y)
    and my bones grow weak.(Z)
11 Because of all my enemies,(AA)
    I am the utter contempt(AB) of my neighbors(AC)
and an object of dread to my closest friends—
    those who see me on the street flee from me.
12 I am forgotten as though I were dead;(AD)
    I have become like broken pottery.
13 For I hear many whispering,(AE)
    “Terror on every side!”(AF)
They conspire against me(AG)
    and plot to take my life.(AH)

14 But I trust(AI) in you, Lord;
    I say, “You are my God.”
15 My times(AJ) are in your hands;
    deliver me from the hands of my enemies,
    from those who pursue me.
16 Let your face shine(AK) on your servant;
    save me in your unfailing love.(AL)
17 Let me not be put to shame,(AM) Lord,
    for I have cried out to you;
but let the wicked be put to shame
    and be silent(AN) in the realm of the dead.
18 Let their lying lips(AO) be silenced,
    for with pride and contempt
    they speak arrogantly(AP) against the righteous.

19 How abundant are the good things(AQ)
    that you have stored up for those who fear you,
that you bestow in the sight of all,(AR)
    on those who take refuge(AS) in you.
20 In the shelter(AT) of your presence you hide(AU) them
    from all human intrigues;(AV)
you keep them safe in your dwelling
    from accusing tongues.

21 Praise be to the Lord,(AW)
    for he showed me the wonders of his love(AX)
    when I was in a city under siege.(AY)
22 In my alarm(AZ) I said,
    “I am cut off(BA) from your sight!”
Yet you heard my cry(BB) for mercy
    when I called to you for help.

23 Love the Lord, all his faithful people!(BC)
    The Lord preserves those who are true to him,(BD)
    but the proud he pays back(BE) in full.
24 Be strong and take heart,(BF)
    all you who hope in the Lord.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 31:1 In Hebrew texts 31:1-24 is numbered 31:2-25.
  2. Psalm 31:10 Or guilt