Psalms 31
1 For the Leader. A Psalm of David. In thee, O LORD, have I taken refuge; let me never be ashamed; deliver me in Thy 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 Thine ear unto me, deliver me speedily; be Thou to me a rock of refuge, even a fortress of defence, to save me.
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 Thou art my rock and my fortress; therefore for Thy name's sake lead me and guide me.
For you are my Rock and my strong tower; go in front of me and be my guide, because of your name.
4 Bring me forth out of the net that they have hidden for me; for Thou art my stronghold.
Take me out of the net which they have put ready for me secretly; for you are my strength.
5 Into Thy hand I commit my spirit; Thou hast redeemed me, O LORD, Thou God of truth.
Into your hands I give my spirit; you are my saviour, O Lord God for ever true.
6 I hate them that regard lying vanities; but I trust in the LORD.
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 Thy lovingkindness; for Thou hast seen mine affliction, Thou hast taken cognizance of the troubles 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 And Thou hast not given me over into the hand of the enemy; Thou hast set my feet in a broad place.
And you have not given me into the hand of my hater; you have put my feet in a wide place.
9 Be gracious unto me, O LORD, for I am in distress; mine eye wasteth away with vexation, yea, my soul and my body.
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 spent in sorrow, and my years in sighing; my strength faileth because of mine iniquity, and my bones are wasted 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 Because of all mine adversaries I am become a reproach, yea, unto my neighbours exceedingly, and a dread to mine acquaintance; they that see me without flee from me.
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 as a dead man out of mind; I am like a useless vessel.
I have gone from men's minds and memory like a dead man; I am like a broken vessel.
13 For I have heard the whispering of many, terror on every side; while they took counsel together against me, they devised to take away 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 as for me, I have trusted in Thee, O LORD; I have said: 'Thou art my God.'
But I had faith in you, O Lord; I said, You are my God.
15 My times are in Thy hand; deliver me from the hand of mine enemies, and from them that persecute 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 Thy face to shine upon Thy servant; save me in Thy lovingkindness.
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 upon Thee; let the wicked be ashamed, let them be put to silence in the nether-world. (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 Let the lying lips be dumb, which speak arrogantly against the righteous, with pride and contempt.
Let the false lips be shut, which say evil against the upright, looking down on him in their pride.
19 Oh how abundant is Thy goodness, which Thou hast laid up for them that fear Thee; which Thou hast wrought for them that take their refuge in Thee, in the sight of the sons of men!
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 Thou hidest them in the covert of Thy presence from the plottings of man; Thou concealest them in a pavilion from the strife of 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 hath shown me His wondrous lovingkindness in an entrenched city.
May the Lord be praised, because he has made clear to me the wonder of his grace in a strong town.
22 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.
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 O love the LORD, all ye His godly ones; the LORD preserveth the faithful, and plentifully repayeth him that acteth haughtily.
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 let your heart take courage, all ye that wait for the LORD.
Put away fear and let your heart be strong, all you whose hope is in the Lord.
