Psalms 31

1 Unto the end. A Psalm of David according to an ecstasy. In you, Lord, I have hoped; let me never be confounded. In your justice, deliver me.

To the chief Musician. A Psalm of David. In thee, Jehovah, do I trust; let me never be ashamed: deliver me in thy righteousness.

2 Incline your ear to me. Hasten to rescue me. Be for me a protector God and a house of refuge, so as to accomplish my salvation.

Incline thine ear to me, deliver me speedily; be a strong rock to me, a house of defence to save me.

3 For you are my strength and my refuge; and for the sake of your name, you will lead me and nourish me.

For thou art my rock and my fortress; and, for thy name's sake, thou wilt lead me and guide me.

4 You will lead me out of this snare, which they have hidden for me. For you are my protector.

Draw me out of the net that they have hidden for me; for thou art my strength.

5 Into your hands, I commend my spirit. You have redeemed me, O Lord, God of truth.

Into thy hand I commit my spirit: thou hast redeemed me, Jehovah, [thou] God of truth.

6 You have hated those who practice emptiness to no purpose. But I have hoped in the Lord.

I have hated them that observe lying vanities; and as for me, I have confided in Jehovah.

7 I will exult and rejoice in your mercy. For you have looked upon my humility; you have saved my soul from needfulness.

I will be glad and rejoice in thy loving-kindness, for thou hast seen mine affliction; thou hast known the troubles of my soul,

8 And you have not enclosed me in the hands of the enemy. You have set my feet in a spacious place.

And hast not shut me up into the hand of the enemy: thou hast set my feet in a large place.

9 Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am troubled. My eye has been disturbed by wrath, along with my soul and my gut.

Be gracious unto me, Jehovah, for I am in trouble: mine eye wasteth away with vexation, my soul and my belly.

10 For my life has fallen into sorrow, and my years into sighing. My virtue has been weakened in poverty, and my bones have been disturbed.

For my life is spent with sorrow, and my years with sighing; my strength faileth through mine iniquity, and my bones are wasted.

11 I have become a disgrace among all my enemies, and even more so to my neighbors, and a dread to my acquaintances. Those who catch sight of me, flee away from me.

More than to all mine oppressors, I am become exceedingly a reproach, even to my neighbours, and a fear to mine acquaintance: they that see me without flee from me.

12 I have become forgotten, like one dead to the heart. I have become like a damaged utensil.

I am forgotten in [their] heart as a dead man; I am become like a broken vessel.

13 For I have heard the harsh criticism of many who linger in the area. While assembled together against me in that place, they deliberated on how to take away my life.

For I have heard the slander of many — terror on every side — when they take counsel together against me: they plot to take away my life.

14 But I have hoped in you, O Lord. I said, “You are my God.”

But I confided in thee, Jehovah; I said, thou art my God.

15 My fate is in your hands. Rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from those who are persecuting me.

My times are in thy hand: deliver me from the hand of mine enemies, and from my persecutors.

16 Shine your face upon your servant. Save me in your mercy.

Make thy face to shine upon thy servant; save me in thy loving-kindness.

17 Do not let me be confounded, Lord, for I have called upon you. Let the impious be ashamed and be drawn down into Hell. (Sheol h7585)

Jehovah, let me not be ashamed; for I have called upon thee: let the wicked be ashamed, let them be silent in Sheol. (Sheol h7585)

18 May deceitful lips be silenced: those that speak iniquity against the just, in arrogance and in abusiveness.

Let the lying lips become dumb, which speak insolently against the righteous in pride and contempt.

19 How great is the multitude of your sweetness, O Lord, which you keep hidden for those who fear you, which you have perfected for those who hope in you, in the sight of the sons of men.

[Oh] how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee, [which] thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee, before the sons of men!

20 You hide them in the concealment of your face, from the disturbance of men. You protect them in your tabernacle, from the contradiction of tongues.

Thou keepest them concealed in the secret of thy presence from the conspiracies of man; thou hidest them in a pavilion from the strife of tongues.

21 Blessed is the Lord. For he has shown his wonderful mercy to me, in a fortified city.

Blessed be Jehovah; for he hath shewn me wondrously his loving-kindness in a strong city.

22 But I said in the excess of my mind: “I have been cast away from the glance of your eyes.” And so, you heeded the voice of my prayer, while I was still crying out to you.

As for me, I said in my haste, I am cut off from before thine eyes; nevertheless thou heardest the voice of my supplications when I cried unto thee.

23 Love the Lord, all you his saints. For the Lord will require truth, and he will abundantly repay those who act with arrogance.

Love Jehovah, all ye his saints. Jehovah preserveth the faithful, and plentifully requiteth the proud doer.

24 Act manfully, and let your heart be strengthened, all you who hope in the Lord.

Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all ye that hope in Jehovah.