Psalms 31

1 For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. In You, O LORD, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame; save me by Your righteousness.

To the chief music-maker. A Psalm. Of David. In you, O Lord, have I put my hope; let me never be shamed; keep me safe in your righteousness.

2 Incline Your ear to me; come quickly to my rescue. Be my rock of refuge, the stronghold of my deliverance.

Let your ear be turned to me; take me quickly out of danger; be my strong Rock, my place of strength where I may be safe.

3 For You are my rock and my fortress; lead me and guide me for the sake of Your name.

For you are my Rock and my strong tower; go in front of me and be my guide, because of your name.

4 You free me from the net laid out for me, for You are my refuge.

Take me out of the net which they have put ready for me secretly; for you are my strength.

5 Into Your hands I commit my spirit; You have redeemed me, O LORD, God of truth.

Into your hands I give my spirit; you are my saviour, O Lord God for ever true.

6 I hate those who cling to worthless idols, but in the LORD I trust.

I am full of hate for those who go after false gods; but my hope is in the Lord.

7 I will be glad and rejoice in Your loving devotion, for You have seen my affliction; You have known the anguish of my soul.

I will be glad and have delight in your mercy; because you have seen my trouble; you have had pity on my soul in its sorrows;

8 You have not delivered me to the enemy; You have set my feet in the open.

And you have not given me into the hand of my hater; you have put my feet in a wide place.

9 Be merciful to me, O LORD, for I am in distress; my eyes fail from sorrow, my soul and body as well.

Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am in trouble; my eyes are wasted with grief, I am wasted in soul and body.

10 For my life is consumed with grief and my years with groaning; my iniquity has drained my strength, and my bones are wasting away.

My life goes on in sorrow, and my years in weeping; my strength is almost gone because of my sin, and my bones are wasted away.

11 Among all my enemies I am a disgrace, and among my neighbors even more. I am dreaded by my friends— they flee when they see me on the street.

Because of all those who are against me, I have become a word of shame to my neighbours; a cause of shaking the head and a fear to my friends: those who saw me in the street went in flight from me.

12 I am forgotten like a dead man, out of mind. I am like a broken vessel.

I have gone from men's minds and memory like a dead man; I am like a broken vessel.

13 For I hear the slander of many; there is terror on every side. They conspire against me and plot to take my life.

False statements against me have come to my ears; fear was on every side: they were talking together against me, designing to take away my life.

14 But I trust in You, O LORD; I say, “You are my God.”

But I had faith in you, O Lord; I said, You are my God.

15 My times are in Your hands; deliver me from my enemies and from those who pursue me.

The chances of my life are in your hand; take me out of the hands of my haters, and of those who go after me.

16 Make Your face shine on Your servant; save me by Your loving devotion.

Let your servant see the light of your face; in your mercy be my saviour.

17 O LORD, let me not be ashamed, for I have called on You. Let the wicked be put to shame; let them lie silent in Sheol. (Sheol h7585)

Let me not be shamed, O Lord, for I have made my prayer to you; let the sinners be shamed, and let their mouths be shut in the underworld. (Sheol h7585)

18 May lying lips be silenced— lips that speak with arrogance against the righteous, full of pride and contempt.

Let the false lips be shut, which say evil against the upright, looking down on him in their pride.

19 How great is Your goodness which You have laid up for those who fear You, which You have bestowed before the sons of men on those who take refuge in You!

O how great is your grace, which you have put in store for your worshippers, and which you have made clear to those who had faith in you, before the sons of men!

20 You hide them in the secret place of Your presence from the schemes of men. You conceal them in Your shelter from accusing tongues.

You will keep them safe in your house from the designs of man; in the secret of your tent will you keep them from angry tongues.

21 Blessed be the LORD, for He has shown me His loving devotion in a city under siege.

May the Lord be praised, because he has made clear to me the wonder of his grace in a strong town.

22 In my alarm I said, “I am cut off from Your sight!” But You heard my plea for mercy when I called to You for help.

And as for me, I said in my fear, I am cut off from before your eyes; but you gave ear to the voice of my prayer, when my cry went up to you.

23 Love the LORD, all His saints. The LORD preserves the faithful, but fully repays the arrogant.

O have love for the Lord, all you his saints; for the Lord keeps safe from danger all those who are true to him, and gives the workers of pride their right reward.

24 Be strong and courageous, all you who hope in the LORD.

Put away fear and let your heart be strong, all you whose hope is in the Lord.