Psalms 31

1 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.

Unto the end. A Psalm of David according to an ecstasy. In you, Lord, I have hoped; let me never be confounded. In your justice, deliver me.

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

Incline your ear to me. Hasten to rescue me. Be for me a protector God and a house of refuge, so as to accomplish my salvation.

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

For you are my strength and my refuge; and for the sake of your name, you will lead me and nourish me.

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

You will lead me out of this snare, which they have hidden for me. For you are my protector.

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

Into your hands, I commend my spirit. You have redeemed me, O Lord, God of truth.

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

You have hated those who practice emptiness to no purpose. But I have hoped in the Lord.

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

I will exult and rejoice in your mercy. For you have looked upon my humility; you have saved my soul from needfulness.

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

And you have not enclosed me in the hands of the enemy. You have set my feet in a spacious place.

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

Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am troubled. My eye has been disturbed by wrath, along with my soul and my gut.

10 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.

For my life has fallen into sorrow, and my years into sighing. My virtue has been weakened in poverty, and my bones have been disturbed.

11 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.

I have become a disgrace among all my enemies, and even more so to my neighbors, and a dread to my acquaintances. Those who catch sight of me, flee away from me.

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

I have become forgotten, like one dead to the heart. I have become like a damaged utensil.

13 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,

For I have heard the harsh criticism of many who linger in the area. While assembled together against me in that place, they deliberated on how to take away my life.

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

But I have hoped in you, O Lord. I said, “You are my God.”

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

My fate is in your hands. Rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from those who are persecuting me.

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

Shine your face upon your servant. Save me in your mercy.

17 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)

Do not let me be confounded, Lord, for I have called upon you. Let the impious be ashamed and be drawn down into Hell. (Sheol h7585)

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

May deceitful lips be silenced: those that speak iniquity against the just, in arrogance and in abusiveness.

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

How great is the multitude of your sweetness, O Lord, which you keep hidden for those who fear you, which you have perfected for those who hope in you, in the sight of the sons of men.

20 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.

You hide them in the concealment of your face, from the disturbance of men. You protect them in your tabernacle, from the contradiction of tongues.

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

Blessed is the Lord. For he has shown his wonderful mercy to me, in a fortified city.

22 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.

But I said in the excess of my mind: “I have been cast away from the glance of your eyes.” And so, you heeded the voice of my prayer, while I was still crying out to you.

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

Love the Lord, all you his saints. For the Lord will require truth, and he will abundantly repay those who act with arrogance.

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

Act manfully, and let your heart be strengthened, all you who hope in the Lord.