Psalms 31

1 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!

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 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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

7 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.

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 allowed my enemies to capture me; instead, you have rescued me from danger.

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

9 [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.

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 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.

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 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.

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

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

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

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

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

15 My whole life [MTY] is in your hands; save me from my enemies, 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 Be kind to me and rescue me because you always faithfully love me.

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

17 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)

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 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.

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

19 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.

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 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.

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 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.

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

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

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

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