Psalm 31
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Psalm 31
A Plea for Protection
For the choir director. A Davidic psalm.
1 Lord, I seek refuge in You;
let me never be disgraced.(A)
Save me by Your righteousness.
2 Listen closely to me; rescue me quickly.
Be a rock of refuge for me,
a mountain fortress to save me.(B)
3 For You are my rock and my fortress;(C)
You lead and guide me
because of Your name.(D)
4 You will free me from the net
that is secretly set for me,
for You are my refuge.(E)
5 Into Your hand I entrust my spirit;(F)
You redeem[a] me, Lord, God of truth.(G)
6 I[b] hate those who are devoted to worthless idols,
but I trust in the Lord.(H)
7 I will rejoice and be glad in Your faithful love
because You have seen my affliction.
You have known the troubles of my life(I)
8 and have not handed me over to the enemy.(J)
You have set my feet in a spacious place.(K)
9 Be gracious to me, Lord,
because I am in distress;(L)
my eyes are worn out from angry sorrow—
my whole being[c] as well.(M)
10 Indeed, my life is consumed with grief
and my years with groaning;(N)
my strength has failed
because of my sinfulness,[d]
and my bones waste away.(O)
11 I am ridiculed by all my adversaries
and even by my neighbors.
I am dreaded by my acquaintances;
those who see me in the street run from me.(P)
12 I am forgotten: gone from memory
like a dead person—like broken pottery.(Q)
13 I have heard the gossip of many;
terror is on every side.(R)
When they conspired against me,
they plotted to take my life.(S)
14 But I trust in You, Lord;
I say, “You are my God.”(T)
15 The course of my life is in Your power;(U)
deliver me from the power of my enemies
and from my persecutors.(V)
16 Show Your favor to Your servant;
save me by Your faithful love.(W)
17 Lord, do not let me be disgraced when I call on You.(X)
Let the wicked be disgraced;
let them be silent[e][f] in Sheol.(Y)
18 Let lying lips be quieted;(Z)
they speak arrogantly against the righteous
with pride and contempt.(AA)
19 How great is Your goodness
that You have stored up for those who fear You
and accomplished in the sight of everyone
for those who take refuge in You.(AB)
20 You hide them in the protection of Your presence;
You conceal them in a shelter[g]
from the schemes of men,
from quarrelsome tongues.(AC)
21 May the Lord be praised,
for He has wonderfully shown His faithful love to me
in a city under siege.[h](AD)
22 In my alarm I had said,
“I am cut off from Your sight.”(AE)
But You heard the sound of my pleading
when I cried to You for help.(AF)
23 Love the Lord, all His faithful ones.(AG)
The Lord protects the loyal,
but fully repays the arrogant.(AH)
24 Be strong[i] and courageous,
all you who put your hope in the Lord.(AI)
Footnotes
- Psalm 31:5 Or You have redeemed, or You will redeem, or spirit. Redeem
- Psalm 31:6 One Hb ms, LXX, Syr, Vg, Jer read You
- Psalm 31:9 Lit my soul and my belly
- Psalm 31:10 LXX, Syr, Sym read affliction
- Psalm 31:17 LXX reads brought down
- Psalm 31:17 Or them perish, or them wail
- Psalm 31:20 Lit canopy
- Psalm 31:21 Or a fortified city
- Psalm 31:24 Lit Let your heart be strong
Psalm 31
New King James Version
The Lord a Fortress in Adversity
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.
31 In (A)You, O Lord, I [a]put my trust;
Let me never be ashamed;
Deliver me in Your righteousness.
2 (B)Bow down Your ear to me,
Deliver me speedily;
Be my rock of [b]refuge,
A [c]fortress of defense to save me.
3 (C)For You are my rock and my fortress;
Therefore, (D)for Your name’s sake,
Lead me and guide me.
4 Pull me out of the net which they have secretly laid for me,
For You are my strength.
5 (E)Into Your hand I commit my spirit;
You have redeemed me, O Lord God of (F)truth.
6 I have hated those (G)who regard useless idols;
But I trust in the Lord.
7 I will be glad and rejoice in Your mercy,
For You have considered my trouble;
You have (H)known my soul in [d]adversities,
8 And have not (I)shut[e] me up into the hand of the enemy;
(J)You have set my feet in a wide place.
9 Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am in trouble;
(K)My eye wastes away with grief,
Yes, my soul and my [f]body!
10 For my life is spent with grief,
And my years with sighing;
My strength fails because of my iniquity,
And my bones waste away.
11 (L)I am a [g]reproach among all my enemies,
But (M)especially among my neighbors,
And am repulsive to my acquaintances;
(N)Those who see me outside flee from me.
12 (O)I am forgotten like a dead man, out of mind;
I am like a [h]broken vessel.
13 (P)For I hear the slander of many;
(Q)Fear is on every side;
While they (R)take counsel together against me,
They scheme to take away my life.
14 But as for me, I trust in You, O Lord;
I say, “You are my God.”
15 My times are in Your (S)hand;
Deliver me from the hand of my enemies,
And from those who persecute me.
16 (T)Make Your face shine upon Your servant;
Save me for Your mercies’ sake.
17 (U)Do not let me be ashamed, O Lord, for I have called upon You;
Let the wicked be ashamed;
(V)Let them be silent in the grave.
18 (W)Let the lying lips be put to silence,
Which (X)speak insolent things proudly and contemptuously against the righteous.
19 (Y)Oh, how great is Your goodness,
Which You have laid up for those who fear You,
Which You have prepared for those who trust in You
In the presence of the sons of men!
20 (Z)You shall hide them in the secret place of Your presence
From the plots of man;
(AA)You shall keep them secretly in a [i]pavilion
From the strife of tongues.
21 Blessed be the Lord,
For (AB)He has shown me His marvelous kindness in a [j]strong city!
22 For I said in my haste,
“I am cut off from before Your eyes”;
Nevertheless You heard the voice of my supplications
When I cried out to You.
23 Oh, love the Lord, all you His saints!
For the Lord preserves the faithful,
And fully repays the proud person.
24 (AC)Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart,
All you who hope in the Lord.
Footnotes
- Psalm 31:1 have taken refuge
- Psalm 31:2 strength
- Psalm 31:2 Lit. house of fortresses
- Psalm 31:7 troubles
- Psalm 31:8 given me over
- Psalm 31:9 Lit. belly
- Psalm 31:11 despised thing
- Psalm 31:12 Lit. perishing
- Psalm 31:20 shelter
- Psalm 31:21 fortified
Psalm 31
English Standard Version
Into Your Hand I Commit My Spirit
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.
31 (A)In you, O Lord, do I (B)take refuge;
(C)let me never be put to shame;
in your (D)righteousness deliver me!
2 Incline your ear to me;
rescue me speedily!
Be (E)a rock of (F)refuge for me,
a strong fortress to save me!
3 For you are my rock and my fortress;
and for your (G)name's sake you lead me and guide me;
4 you (H)take me out of (I)the net they have hidden for me,
for you are my (J)refuge.
5 (K)Into your hand I commit my spirit;
you have redeemed me, O Lord, (L)faithful God.
6 I (M)hate[a] those who pay (N)regard to worthless (O)idols,
but I trust in the Lord.
7 I will rejoice and be glad in your steadfast love,
because you have seen my affliction;
you have (P)known the distress of my soul,
8 and you have not (Q)delivered me into the hand of the enemy;
you have set my feet in (R)a broad place.
9 Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am (S)in distress;
(T)my eye is wasted from grief;
my soul and my body also.
10 For my life is spent with sorrow,
and my years with sighing;
my strength fails because of my iniquity,
and (U)my bones waste away.
11 Because of all my adversaries I have become (V)a reproach,
especially to my (W)neighbors,
and an object of dread to my acquaintances;
those who see me in the street (X)flee from me.
12 I have been (Y)forgotten like one who is dead;
I have become like (Z)a broken vessel.
13 For I (AA)hear the whispering of many—
terror on every side!—
(AB)as they scheme together against me,
as they plot to take my life.
14 But I (AC)trust in you, O Lord;
I say, “You are my God.”
15 My (AD)times are in your hand;
(AE)rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from my persecutors!
16 (AF)Make your face shine on your servant;
save me in your steadfast love!
17 O Lord, (AG)let me not be put to shame,
for I call upon you;
let the wicked be put to shame;
let them go (AH)silently to Sheol.
18 Let the lying lips be mute,
which (AI)speak (AJ)insolently against the righteous
in pride and contempt.
19 Oh, how abundant is your goodness,
which you have stored up for those who fear you
and worked for those who take refuge in you,
(AK)in the sight of the children of mankind!
20 In (AL)the cover of your presence you hide them
from the plots of men;
you (AM)store them in your shelter
from the strife of tongues.
21 Blessed be the Lord,
for he has wondrously (AN)shown his steadfast love to me
when I was in (AO)a besieged city.
22 I had said in my (AP)alarm,[b]
“I am (AQ)cut off from (AR)your sight.”
But you heard the voice of my pleas for mercy
when I cried to you for help.
23 Love the Lord, all you his (AS)saints!
The Lord preserves the faithful
but abundantly (AT)repays the one who acts in pride.
24 (AU)Be strong, and let your heart take courage,
all you who wait for the Lord!
Footnotes
- Psalm 31:6 Masoretic Text; one Hebrew manuscript, Septuagint, Syriac, Jerome You hate
- Psalm 31:22 Or in my haste
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Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
