Psalms 31

1 TO THE OVERSEER. A PSALM OF DAVID. In You, O YHWH, I have trusted, Do not let me be ashamed for all time, In Your righteousness deliver me.

Yahweh, I have come to you to be protected; do not allow me to be [defeated, with the result that I am] disgraced. Since you always do what is fair/right, rescue me!

2 Incline Your ear to me quickly, deliver me, Be to me for a strong rock, For a house of bulwarks to save me.

Listen to me, and save me right now! Be [like] a huge rock [under which I can hide] [MET] and [like] a strong fort in which I will be safe.

3 For You [are] my rock and my bulwark, For Your Name’s sake lead me and tend me.

Yes, you are [like] my huge rock and my fort; guide me and lead me [DOU] in order that I can honor you [MTY].

4 Bring me out from the net that they hid for me, For You [are] my strength.

You are the one who protects me, so keep me from falling into the hidden traps [that my enemies have set for me].

5 Into Your hand I commit my spirit, You have redeemed me, YHWH God of truth.

Yahweh, you are a God who can be trusted, so I put myself into your care because you rescued me.

6 I have hated the observers of lying vanities, And I have been confident toward YHWH.

Yahweh, I hate those who worship useless idols, but I trust in you.

7 I rejoice, and am glad in Your kindness, In that You have seen my affliction, You have known my soul in adversities.

I will be very glad [DOU] because you faithfully love me. You see me when I have been afflicted, and you have known when I have had troubles.

8 And You have not shut me up, Into the hand of an enemy, You have caused my feet to stand in a broad place.

You have not allowed my enemies to capture me; instead, you have rescued me from danger.

9 Favor me, O YHWH, for distress [is] to me, My eye, my soul, and my body Have become old by provocation.

[But now], Yahweh, be kind to me [again] because I am distressed. Because I cry [so much], I cannot see well, and I am completely exhausted.

10 For my life has been consumed in sorrow And my years in sighing. My strength has been feeble because of my iniquity, And my bones have become old.

I have become very weak because I am [so] miserable, and it is causing my life to become shorter. I have become weak because of all my troubles; even my bones are becoming weaker.

11 I have been a reproach among all my adversaries, And to my neighbors exceedingly, And a fear to my acquaintances, Those seeing me without—fled from me.

All of my enemies make fun of me, and [even] my neighbors despise me. [Even] my friends are afraid of me [because they think I am being punished by God], and when they see me on the streets, they run away.

12 I have been forgotten as dead, out of mind, I have been as a perishing vessel.

People have forgotten me like they forget people who are dead. [They think I am as useless] as a broken pot.

13 For I have heard an evil account of many, Fear [is] all around. In their being united against me, They have devised to take my life,

I have heard people slandering me, and they have caused me to become terrified. My enemies are making plans in order to kill me.

14 And I have trusted on You, O YHWH, I have said, “You [are] my God.”

But Yahweh, I trust in you. You are my God.

15 In Your hand [are] my times, Deliver me from the hand of my enemies, And from my pursuers.

My whole life [MTY] is in your hands; save me from my enemies, from those who pursue me.

16 Cause Your face to shine on Your servant, Save me in Your kindness.

Be kind to me and rescue me because you always faithfully love me.

17 O YHWH, do not let me be ashamed, For I have called You, let the wicked be ashamed, Let them become silent to Sheol. (Sheol h7585)

Yahweh, I call out to you, so do not allow me to be disgraced. I desire that wicked people will be disgraced; I want them to [soon die and] go down to the place where the dead people are. (Sheol h7585)

18 Let lips of falsehood become mute, That are speaking against the righteous, Ancient sayings, in pride and contempt.

I desire that you will cause people [MTY] who tell lies to be unable to speak. Do that to people who are proud and those who arrogantly accuse righteous people.

19 How abundant is Your goodness, That You have laid up for those fearing You, You have worked for those trusting in You, Before sons of men.

You have stored up many blessings for those who revere you. You do those good things for those who go to you to be protected; everyone sees you doing that.

20 You hide them in the secret place of Your presence, From schemes of man, You conceal them in a dwelling place, From the strife of tongues.

You hide people in your presence where it is safe, and protect them from people who plot [to kill them]. You hide them in safe places from their enemies [MTY] who accuse/insult them.

21 Blessed [is] YHWH, For He has made His kindness marvelous To me in a city of bulwarks.

Praise Yahweh! When my enemies surrounded the city [in which I was living], he showed me in a wonderful way that he faithfully loves me.

22 And I have said in my haste, “I have been cut off from before Your eyes,” But You have heard the voice of my supplications, In my crying to You.

I was afraid, and I cried out, “I have been separated from Yahweh!” but you heard me and answered my cry for help.

23 Love YHWH, all you His saints, YHWH is keeping the faithful, And repaying a proud doer abundantly.

You people who belong to Yahweh, love him! Those who are loyal to him, he protects, but those who are very proud, he punishes them severely like they deserve to be punished.

24 Be strong, and He strengthens your heart, All you who are waiting for YHWH!

You who confidently expect Yahweh [to do great things for you], be strong, be courageous!