Psalms 31

1 For the chief musician. A psalm of David. In you, Yahweh, I take refuge; never let me be humiliated. Rescue me in your righteousness.

For the end, a Psalm of David, [an utterance] of extreme fear. O Lord, I have hoped in you; let me never be ashamed: deliver me in your righteousness and rescue me.

2 Listen to me; rescue me quickly; be my rock of refuge, a stronghold to save me.

Incline your ear to me; make haste to rescue me: be you to me for a protecting God, and for a house of refuge to save me.

3 For you are my rock and my fortress; therefore for your name's sake, lead and guide me.

For you are my strength and my refuge; and you shall guide me for your name's sake, and maintain me.

4 Pluck me out of the net that they have hidden for me, for you are my refuge.

You shall bring me out of the snare which they have hidden for me; for you, O Lord, are my defender.

5 Into your hands I entrust my spirit; you will redeem me, Yahweh, God of trustworthiness.

Into your hands I will commit my spirit: you have redeemed me, O Lord God of truth.

6 I hate those who serve worthless idols, but I trust in Yahweh.

You has hated them that idly persist in vanities: but I have hoped in the Lord.

7 I will be glad and rejoice in your covenant faithfulness, for you saw my affliction; you knew the distress of my soul.

I will exult and be glad in your mercy: for you have looked upon mine affliction; you have saved my soul from distresses.

8 You have not given me into the hand of my enemy. You have set my feet in a wide open place.

And you have not shut me up into the hands of the enemy: you have set my feet in a wide place.

9 Have mercy upon me, Yahweh, for I am in distress; my eyes grow weary with grief with my soul and my body.

Pity me, O Lord, for I am afflicted: my eye is troubled with indignation, my soul and by belly.

10 For my life is weary with sorrow and my years with groaning. My strength fails because of my sin, and my bones are wasting away.

For my life is spent with grief, and my years with groanings: my strength has been weakened through poverty, and my bones are troubled.

11 Because of all my enemies, people disdain me; my neighbors are appalled at my situation, and those who know me are horrified. Those who see me in the street run from me.

I became a reproach among all mine enemies, but exceedingly so to my neighbors, and a fear to mine acquaintance: they that saw me without fled from me.

12 I am forgotten as a dead man whom no one thinks about. I am like a broken pot.

I have been forgotten as a dead man out of mind: I am become as a broken vessel.

13 For I have heard the whispering of many, terrifying news from every side as they plot together against me. They plot to take away my life.

For I heard the slander of many that lived round about: when they were gathered together against me, they took counsel to take my life.

14 But I trust in you, Yahweh; I say, “You are my God.”

But I hoped in you, O Lord: I said, You are my God.

15 My times are in your hand. Rescue me from the hands of my enemies and from those who pursue me.

My lots are in your hands: deliver me from the hand of mine enemies,

16 Make your face shine on your servant; save me in your covenant faithfulness.

and from them that persecute me. Make your face to shine upon your servant: save me in your mercy.

17 Do not let me be humiliated, Yahweh; for I call out to you! May the wicked be humiliated! May they be silent in Sheol. (Sheol h7585)

O Lord, let me not be ashamed, for I have called upon you: let the ungodly be ashamed, and brought down to Hades. (Sheol h7585)

18 May lying lips be silenced that speak against the righteous defiantly with arrogance and contempt.

Let the deceitful lips become dumb, which speak iniquity against the righteous with pride and scorn.

19 How great is your goodness that you have stored up for those who revere you, that you perform for those who take refuge in you before all the children of mankind!

How abundant is the multitude of your goodness, O Lord, which you have laid up for them that fear you! you have wrought [it] out for them that hope on you, in the presence of the sons of men.

20 In the shelter of your presence, you hide them from the plots of men. You hide them in a shelter from the violence of tongues.

You will hide them in the secret of your presence from the vexation of man: you will screen them in a tabernacle from the contradiction of tongues.

21 Blessed be Yahweh, for he showed me his marvelous covenant faithfulness when I was in a besieged city.

Blessed be the Lord: for he has magnified his mercy in a fortified city.

22 Though I said in my haste, “I am cut off from your eyes,” yet you heard my plea for help when I cried to you.

But I said in my extreme fear, I am cast out from the sight of your eyes: therefore you did listen, O Lord, to the voice of my supplication when I cried to you.

23 Oh, love Yahweh, all you faithful followers. Yahweh protects the faithful, but he pays back the arrogant in full.

Love the Lord, all you his saints: for the Lord seeks for truth, and renders [a reward] to them that deal very proudly.

24 Be strong and confident, all you who trust in Yahweh for help.

Be of good courage, and let your heart be strengthened, all you that hope in the Lord.