一个老年人的祈祷

71 耶和华啊,我投靠了你,
求你使我永不蒙羞。
求你凭公义搭救我,
侧耳听我的恳求,拯救我。
求你成为保护我的磐石,
让我可以随时投靠你。
求你下令救我,
因为你是我的磐石和堡垒。
我的上帝啊,
求你从恶人手中拯救我,
从邪恶、残暴之徒掌下拯救我。
主耶和华啊,你是我的盼望,
我从小就信靠你。
你使我出了母胎,
我从出生就依靠你,
我要永远赞美你。
我的遭遇使许多人感到惊骇,
但你是我坚固的避难所。
我口中充满对你的赞美,
终日述说你的荣耀。
我年老时,求你不要丢弃我;
我体力衰微时,求你不要离弃我。
10 我的仇敌议论我,
那些想杀害我的一起策划阴谋,说:
11 “上帝已经丢弃了他。
去追赶、捉拿他吧,
因为无人会救他。”

12 上帝啊,不要远离我;
我的上帝啊,求你快来帮助我!
13 愿我的仇敌在羞辱中灭亡,
愿那些害我的人抱愧蒙羞。
14 我必常常心怀盼望,
向你献上更多的赞美。
15 虽然我无法测度你的公义和拯救之恩,
但我要终日传扬你的作为。
16 主耶和华啊,
我要传扬你大能的作为,
单单述说你的公义。
17 上帝啊,
我从小就受你的教导,
直到今日我仍传扬你奇妙的作为。
18 上帝啊,
就是我年老发白的时候,
求你也不要丢弃我,
好让我把你的大能告诉下一代,世代相传。
19 上帝啊,你的公义高达穹苍,
你成就了奇妙大事。
上帝啊,有谁能像你?
20 你使我经历了许多患难,
最终必使我重获新生,
救我脱离死亡的深渊。
21 你必赐我更大的尊荣,
你必再次安慰我。
22 我的上帝啊,
我要弹琴赞美你的信实;
以色列的圣者啊,
我要伴随着琴声赞美你。
23 你救赎了我的灵魂,
我的口和灵魂都要欢呼歌颂你。
24 我要终日向人述说你的公义,
因为那些想害我的人已经蒙羞受辱。

71 He prayeth in faith, established by the word of promise, 5 And confirmed by the work of God from his youth. 10 He complaineth of the cruelty of his enemies, 17 And desireth God to continue his graces toward him, 22 Promising to be mindful and thankful for the same.

In (A)[a]thee, O Lord, I trust: let me never be ashamed.

Rescue me and deliver me in thy [b]righteousness: incline thine ear unto me and save me.

Be thou my strong rock, whereunto I may always resort: thou [c]hast given commandment to save me: for thou art my rock, and my fortress.

Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand [d]of the wicked: out of the hand of the evil and cruel man.

For thou art mine hope, O Lord God, even my [e]trust from my youth.

Upon thee have I been stayed from the womb: thou art he that took me out of my mother’s bowels: my praise shall be always of thee.

I am become as it were a [f]monster unto many: but thou art my sure trust.

Let my mouth be filled with thy praise, and with thy glory every day.

Cast me not off in the time of [g]age: forsake me not when my strength faileth.

10 For mine enemies speak of me, and they that lay wait for my soul, take their counsel together,

11 Saying, [h]God hath forsaken him: pursue and take him, for there is none to deliver him.

12 Go not far from me, O God: [i]my God haste thee to help me.

13 Let them be confounded and consumed that are against my soul: let them be covered with reproof and confusion, that seek mine hurt.

14 But I will wait continually, and will praise thee more and more.

15 My mouth shall daily rehearse thy righteousness, and thy salvation: [j]for I know not the number.

16 I will [k]go forward in the strength of the Lord God, and will make mention of thy righteousness, even of thine only.

17 O God, thou hast taught me from my youth even until now: therefore will I tell of thy wondrous works,

18 [l]Yea even unto mine old age and gray head, O God: forsake me not, until I have declared thine arm unto this generation, and thy power to all them that shall come.

19 And thy [m]righteousness, O God, I will exalt on high: for thou hast done great things: [n]O God, who is like unto thee!

20 Which hast showed me great troubles and [o]adversities, but thou wilt return and revive me, and wilt come again, and take me up from the depth of the earth.

21 Thou wilt increase mine honor, and return and comfort me.

22 Therefore will I praise thee for thy [p]faithfulness, O God, upon instrument and viol: unto thee will I sing upon the harp, O Holy one of Israel.

23 My lips will rejoice when I sing unto thee, and my [q]soul which thou hast delivered.

24 My tongue also shall talk of thy righteousness daily: for they are confounded and brought unto shame, that seek mine hurt.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 71:1 He prayeth to God with full assurance of faith, that he will deliver him from his adversaries.
  2. Psalm 71:2 By declaring thyself true of promise.
  3. Psalm 71:3 Thou hast infinite means, and all creatures are at thy commandment: therefore show some sign, whereby I shall be delivered.
  4. Psalm 71:4 That is, from Absalom, Ahithophel and that conspiracy.
  5. Psalm 71:5 He strengtheneth his faith by the experience of God’s benefits, who did not only preserve him in his mother’s belly, but took him thence, and ever since hath preserved him.
  6. Psalm 71:7 All the world wondereth at me because of my miseries: as well they in authority as the common people, yet being assured of thy favor, I remained steadfast.
  7. Psalm 71:9 Thou that didst help me in my youth, when I had more strength, help me now so much the more in mine old age and weakness.
  8. Psalm 71:11 Thus the wicked both blaspheme God, and triumph against his Saints, as though he had forsaken them, if he suffer them to fall into their hands.
  9. Psalm 71:12 In calling him his God, he putteth back the false reports of the adversaries, that said, God had forsaken him.
  10. Psalm 71:15 Because thy benefits toward me are innumerable, I cannot but continually meditate and rehearse them.
  11. Psalm 71:16 I will remain steadfast, being upholden with the power of God.
  12. Psalm 71:18 He desireth that as he hath begun, he would so continue his benefits, that his liberality may have perfect praise.
  13. Psalm 71:19 Thy just performance of thy promise.
  14. Psalm 71:19 His faith breaketh through all tentations, and by this exclamation he praiseth the power of God.
  15. Psalm 71:20 As he confesseth that God is the only author of his deliverance: so he acknowledgeth that these evils were sent unto him by God’s providence.
  16. Psalm 71:22 He confesseth that his long tarriance was well recompensed, when God performed his promise.
  17. Psalm 71:23 For there is no true praising of God, except it come from the heart: and therefore he promiseth to delight in nothing, but wherein God be glorified.

71 In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust: let me never be put to confusion.

Deliver me in thy righteousness, and cause me to escape: incline thine ear unto me, and save me.

Be thou my strong habitation, whereunto I may continually resort: thou hast given commandment to save me; for thou art my rock and my fortress.

Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man.

For thou art my hope, O Lord God: thou art my trust from my youth.

By thee have I been holden up from the womb: thou art he that took me out of my mother's bowels: my praise shall be continually of thee.

I am as a wonder unto many; but thou art my strong refuge.

Let my mouth be filled with thy praise and with thy honour all the day.

Cast me not off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength faileth.

10 For mine enemies speak against me; and they that lay wait for my soul take counsel together,

11 Saying, God hath forsaken him: persecute and take him; for there is none to deliver him.

12 O God, be not far from me: O my God, make haste for my help.

13 Let them be confounded and consumed that are adversaries to my soul; let them be covered with reproach and dishonour that seek my hurt.

14 But I will hope continually, and will yet praise thee more and more.

15 My mouth shall shew forth thy righteousness and thy salvation all the day; for I know not the numbers thereof.

16 I will go in the strength of the Lord God: I will make mention of thy righteousness, even of thine only.

17 O God, thou hast taught me from my youth: and hitherto have I declared thy wondrous works.

18 Now also when I am old and greyheaded, O God, forsake me not; until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to every one that is to come.

19 Thy righteousness also, O God, is very high, who hast done great things: O God, who is like unto thee!

20 Thou, which hast shewed me great and sore troubles, shalt quicken me again, and shalt bring me up again from the depths of the earth.

21 Thou shalt increase my greatness, and comfort me on every side.

22 I will also praise thee with the psaltery, even thy truth, O my God: unto thee will I sing with the harp, O thou Holy One of Israel.

23 My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing unto thee; and my soul, which thou hast redeemed.

24 My tongue also shall talk of thy righteousness all the day long: for they are confounded, for they are brought unto shame, that seek my hurt.