一個老年人的祈禱

71 耶和華啊,我投靠了你,
求你使我永不蒙羞。
求你憑公義搭救我,
側耳聽我的懇求,拯救我。
求你成為保護我的磐石,
讓我可以隨時投靠你。
求你下令救我,
因為你是我的磐石和堡壘。
我的上帝啊,
求你從惡人手中拯救我,
從邪惡、殘暴之徒掌下拯救我。
主耶和華啊,你是我的盼望,
我從小就信靠你。
你使我出了母胎,
我從出生就依靠你,
我要永遠讚美你。
我的遭遇使許多人感到驚駭,
但你是我堅固的避難所。
我口中充滿對你的讚美,
終日述說你的榮耀。
我年老時,求你不要丟棄我;
我體力衰微時,求你不要離棄我。
10 我的仇敵議論我,
那些想殺害我的一起策劃陰謀,說:
11 「上帝已經丟棄了他。
去追趕、捉拿他吧,
因為無人會救他。」

12 上帝啊,不要遠離我;
我的上帝啊,求你快來幫助我!
13 願我的仇敵在羞辱中滅亡,
願那些害我的人抱愧蒙羞。
14 我必常常心懷盼望,
向你獻上更多的讚美。
15 雖然我無法測度你的公義和拯救之恩,
但我要終日傳揚你的作為。
16 主耶和華啊,
我要傳揚你大能的作為,
單單述說你的公義。
17 上帝啊,
我從小就受你的教導,
直到今日我仍傳揚你奇妙的作為。
18 上帝啊,
就是我年老髮白的時候,
求你也不要丟棄我,
好讓我把你的大能告訴下一代,世代相傳。
19 上帝啊,你的公義高達穹蒼,
你成就了奇妙大事。
上帝啊,有誰能像你?
20 你使我經歷了許多患難,
最終必使我重獲新生,
救我脫離死亡的深淵。
21 你必賜我更大的尊榮,
你必再次安慰我。
22 我的上帝啊,
我要彈琴讚美你的信實;
以色列的聖者啊,
我要伴隨著琴聲讚美你。
23 你救贖了我的靈魂,
我的口和靈魂都要歡呼歌頌你。
24 我要終日向人述說你的公義,
因為那些想害我的人已經蒙羞受辱。

A song for old age

71 Lord, I have come to you to keep me safe.
    Never let me become ashamed.
You always do what is right,
    so please rescue me!
Listen to me, and come to save me!
Be a rock where I can hide.
    Be a strong place where I can be safe.
You are my high rock and my strong, safe place.
My God, save me from the power of wicked people,
    so that those cruel people cannot catch me.
My Lord, I trust you to help me.
I have trusted in you, Lord,
    since I was young.
Since I was born,
    you have been there to help me.
You have taken care of me
    since my mother gave birth to me.
So I will always praise you!
When people see me,
    they see trouble!
But you are a strong place to keep me safe.
I can never stop praising you!
All the time, I speak about your glory!
Do not chase me away when I am old.
When I am no longer strong,
    do not turn away from me.[a]
10 For my enemies say things against me.
    They think of ways that they can kill me.
11 They say, ‘God has turned away from him.
Run after him and catch him,
    for nobody will rescue him.’
12 God, do not stay far away from me.
    My God, come quickly to help me!
13 Make my enemies become completely ashamed.
They speak against me and they want to hurt me.
    So let them fall with great shame!
14 But as for me, I will always wait for you to help me.
    I will continue to praise you more and more.
15 I will tell people that you always do what is right.
I will always speak about your power to save people.
But you have done more than I will ever know about!
16 I will tell about the great things that you have done,
    Almighty Lord.
I will tell everyone that you are righteous.
    You, only you, are righteous.
17 God, you have taught me since I was young.
I still tell people about the great things that you have done.
18 And even when I am old and my hair is grey,
    do not turn away from me, God.
I need to tell the people still to be born
    about your great strength.
My descendants need to know about your power.
19 Your justice reaches beyond the sky above!
You have done such great things, God.
    There is nobody like you!
20 You have caused me to have many bad troubles.
    But you will make my life strong again.
You will lift me back out
    from this deep hole under the earth.[b]
21 You will make me great again,
    so that people respect me.
You will turn back to me,
    so that I feel strong.
22 I will pick up my harp
    and I will sing to thank you.
I will praise you, my God,
    because you do what you promise.
I will sing to praise you, the Holy One of Israel,
    with the music of a lyre.[c]
23 I will shout aloud with joy,
    as I praise you with music!
I will sing songs to praise you,
    because you have rescued me.
24 I will talk about your justice all the time.
The people who want to hurt me
    will become confused and ashamed.

Footnotes

  1. 71:9 When the writer is old, he wants God to continue to be with him.
  2. 71:20 This means that the writer thought that he was near to death.
  3. 71:22 The ‘Holy One of Israel’ is a name for God. He is the God that the Israelites worshipped.

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.

God the Rock of Salvation

71 In (A)You, O Lord, I put my trust;
Let me never be put to shame.
(B)Deliver me in Your righteousness, and cause me to escape;
(C)Incline Your ear to me, and save me.
(D)Be my [a]strong refuge,
To which I may resort continually;
You have given the (E)commandment to save me,
For You are my rock and my fortress.

(F)Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked,
Out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man.
For You are (G)my hope, O Lord God;
You are my trust from my youth.
(H)By You I have been [b]upheld from birth;
You are He who took me out of my mother’s womb.
My praise shall be continually of You.

(I)I have become as a wonder to many,
But You are my strong refuge.
Let (J)my mouth be filled with Your praise
And with Your glory all the day.

Do not cast me off in the time of old age;
Do not forsake me when my strength fails.
10 For my enemies speak against me;
And those who lie in wait for my life (K)take counsel together,
11 Saying, “God has forsaken him;
Pursue and take him, for there is none to deliver him.

12 (L)O God, do not be far from me;
O my God, (M)make haste to help me!
13 Let them be [c]confounded and consumed
Who are adversaries of my life;
Let them be covered with reproach and dishonor
Who seek my hurt.

14 But I will hope continually,
And will praise You yet more and more.
15 My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness
And Your salvation all the day,
For I do not know their limits.
16 I will go in the strength of the Lord God;
I will make mention of Your righteousness, of Yours only.

17 O God, You have taught me from my (N)youth;
And to this day I declare Your wondrous works.
18 Now also (O)when I am old and grayheaded,
O God, do not forsake me,
Until I declare Your strength to this generation,
Your power to everyone who is to come.

19 Also (P)Your righteousness, O God, is [d]very high,
You who have done great things;
(Q)O God, who is like You?
20 (R)You, who have shown me great and severe troubles,
(S)Shall revive me again,
And bring me up again from the depths of the earth.
21 You shall increase my greatness,
And comfort me on every side.

22 Also (T)with the lute I will praise You—
And Your faithfulness, O my God!
To You I will sing with the harp,
O (U)Holy One of Israel.
23 My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing to You,
And (V)my soul, which You have redeemed.
24 My tongue also shall talk of Your righteousness all the day long;
For they are confounded,
For they are brought to shame
Who seek my hurt.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 71:3 Lit. rock of refuge or rock of habitation
  2. Psalm 71:6 sustained from the womb
  3. Psalm 71:13 ashamed
  4. Psalm 71:19 great, lit. to the height of heaven