Psalms 31

1 For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David. In you, LORD, I take refuge. Let me never be disappointed. Deliver me in your righteousness.

To the Overseer. — A Psalm of David. In Thee, O Jehovah, I have trusted, Let me not be ashamed to the age, In Thy righteousness deliver me.

2 Bow down your ear to me. Deliver me speedily. Be to me a strong rock, a house of defence to save me.

Incline unto me Thine ear hastily, deliver me, Be to me for a strong rock, For a house of bulwarks to save me.

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

For my rock and my bulwark [art] Thou, For Thy name's sake lead me and tend me.

4 Pluck me out of the net that they have laid secretly for me, for you are my stronghold.

Bring me out from the net that they hid for me, For Thou [art] my strength.

5 Into your hand I commend my spirit. You redeem me, LORD, God of truth.

Into Thy hand I commit my spirit, Thou hast redeemed me, Jehovah God of truth.

6 I hate those who regard lying vanities, but I trust in the LORD.

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

7 I will be glad and rejoice in your loving kindness, for you have seen my affliction. You have known my soul in adversities.

I rejoice, and am glad in Thy kindness, In that Thou hast seen mine affliction, Thou hast known in adversities my soul.

8 You have not shut me up into the hand of the enemy. You have set my feet in a large place.

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

9 Have mercy on me, LORD, for I am in distress. My eye, my soul, and my body waste away with grief.

Favour me, O Jehovah, for distress [is] to me, Mine eye, my soul, and my body Have become old by provocation.

10 For my life is spent with sorrow, my years with sighing. My strength fails because of my iniquity. My bones are wasted away.

For my life hath been consumed in sorrow And my years in sighing. Feeble because of mine iniquity hath been my strength, And my bones have become old.

11 Because of all my adversaries I have become utterly contemptible to my neighbours, a horror to my acquaintances. Those who saw me on the street fled from me.

Among all mine adversaries I have been a reproach, And to my neighbours exceedingly, And a fear to mine acquaintances, Those seeing me without — fled from me.

12 I am forgotten from their hearts like a dead man. I am like broken pottery.

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

13 For I have heard the slander of many, terror on every side, while they conspire together against me, they plot to take away my life.

For I have heard an evil account of many, Fear [is] round about. In their being united against me, To take my life they have devised,

14 But I trust in you, LORD. I said, “You are my God.”

And I on Thee — I have trusted, O Jehovah, I have said, 'Thou [art] my God.'

15 My times are in your hand. Deliver me from the hand of my enemies, and from those who persecute me.

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

16 Make your face to shine on your servant. Save me in your loving kindness.

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

17 Let me not be disappointed, LORD, for I have called on you. Let the wicked be disappointed. Let them be silent in Sheol. (Sheol h7585)

O Jehovah, let me not be ashamed, For I have called Thee, let the wicked be ashamed, Let them become silent to Sheol. (Sheol h7585)

18 Let the lying lips be mute, which speak against the righteous insolently, with pride and contempt.

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

19 Oh how great is your goodness, which you have laid up for those who fear you, which you have worked for those who take refuge in you, before the sons of men!

How abundant is Thy goodness, That Thou hast laid up for those fearing Thee,

20 In the shelter of your presence you will hide them from the plotting of man. You will keep them secretly in a dwelling away from the strife of tongues.

Thou hast wrought for those trusting in Thee, Before sons of men. Thou hidest them in the secret place of Thy presence, From artifices of man, Thou concealest them in a tabernacle, From the strife of tongues.

21 Praise be to the LORD, for he has shown me his marvellous loving kindness in a strong city.

Blessed [is] Jehovah, For He hath made marvellous His kindness To me in a city of bulwarks.

22 As for me, I said in my haste, “I am cut off from before your eyes.” Nevertheless you heard the voice of my petitions when I cried to you.

And I — I have said in my haste, 'I have been cut off from before Thine eyes,' But Thou hast heard the voice of my supplications, In my crying unto Thee.

23 Oh love the LORD, all you his holy ones! The LORD preserves the faithful, and fully recompenses him who behaves arrogantly.

Love Jehovah, all ye His saints, Jehovah is keeping the faithful, And recompensing abundantly a proud doer.

24 Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who hope in the LORD.

Be strong, and He strengtheneth your heart, All ye who are waiting for Jehovah!