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, O LORD, do I put my 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.

Bow down thine ear to me; deliver me speedily: be thou my strong rock, for an 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; therefore for thy name’s sake 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.

Pull me out of the net that they have laid privily 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 thine hand I commit my spirit: thou hast redeemed me, O LORD 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 regard lying vanities: but I trust in the LORD.

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 mercy: for thou hast considered my trouble; thou hast known my soul in adversities;

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 room.

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

Have mercy upon me, O LORD, for I am in trouble: mine eye is consumed with grief, [yea], 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 grief, and my years with sighing: my strength faileth because of mine iniquity, and my bones are consumed.

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.

I was a reproach among all mine enemies, but especially among my neighbours, and a fear to mine acquaintance: they that did see me without fled from me.

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

I am forgotten as a dead man out of mind: I am 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: fear [was] on every side: while they took counsel together against me, they devised to take away my life.

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

But I trusted in thee, O LORD: 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 them that persecute me.

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

Make thy face to shine upon thy servant: save me for thy mercies’ sake.

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)

Let me not be ashamed, O LORD; for I have called upon thee: let the wicked be ashamed, [and] let them be silent in the grave. (Sheol h7585)

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

Let the lying lips be put to silence; which speak grievous things proudly and contemptuously against the righteous.

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 shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence from the pride of man: thou shalt keep them secretly 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] the LORD: for he hath shewed me his marvellous 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.

For 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.

O love the LORD, all ye his saints: [for] the LORD preserveth the faithful, and plentifully rewardeth the proud doer.

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

Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD.