Psalm 71
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Psalm 71
Prayer for Lifelong Protection and Help
1 In you, O Lord, I take refuge;
let me never be put to shame.(A)
2 In your righteousness deliver me and rescue me;
incline your ear to me and save me.(B)
3 Be to me a rock of refuge,
a strong fortress[a] to save me,
for you are my rock and my fortress.(C)
4 Rescue me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked,
from the grasp of the unjust and cruel.(D)
5 For you, O Lord, are my hope,
my trust, O Lord, from my youth.(E)
6 From my birth I have leaned upon you,
my protector since my mother’s womb.[b]
My praise is continually of you.(F)
7 I have been like a portent to many,
but you are my strong refuge.(G)
8 My mouth is filled with your praise
and with your glory all day long.(H)
9 Do not cast me off in the time of old age;
do not forsake me when my strength is spent.(I)
10 For my enemies speak concerning me,
and those who watch for my life consult together.(J)
11 They say, “Pursue and seize that person
whom God has forsaken,
for there is no one to deliver.”(K)
12 O God, do not be far from me;
O my God, make haste to help me!(L)
13 Let my accusers be put to shame and consumed;
let those who seek to hurt me
be covered with scorn and disgrace.(M)
14 But I will hope continually
and will praise you yet more and more.
15 My mouth will tell of your righteous acts,
of your deeds of salvation all day long,
though their number is past my knowledge.(N)
16 I will come praising the mighty deeds of the Lord God;
I will praise your righteousness, yours alone.(O)
17 O God, from my youth you have taught me,
and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds.(P)
18 So even to old age and gray hairs,
O God, do not forsake me,
until I proclaim your might
to all the generations to come.[c]
Your power(Q) 19 and your righteousness, O God,
reach the high heavens.
You who have done great things,
O God, who is like you?(R)
20 You who have made me see many troubles and calamities
will revive me again;
from the depths of the earth
you will bring me up again.(S)
21 You will increase my honor
and comfort me once again.
22 I will also praise you with the harp
for your faithfulness, O my God;
I will sing praises to you with the lyre,
O Holy One of Israel.(T)
23 My lips will shout for joy
when I sing praises to you;
my soul also, which you have rescued.(U)
24 All day long my tongue will talk of your righteous help,
for those who tried to do me harm
have been put to shame and disgraced.(V)
Psalm 71
Evangelical Heritage Version
Psalm 71
Do Not Throw Me Away When I Am Old
Opening Prayer
1 In you, Lord, I have taken refuge.
May I not be put to shame forever.
2 In your righteousness rescue me and deliver me.
Turn your ear to me and save me.
3 Be my rock and my refuge to which I can always go.
You give the command to save me,
because you are my high ridge and my stronghold.
4 My God, deliver me from the hand of the wicked,
from the grasp of the unjust and the ruthless.
Remembrance of Past Help
5 For you have been my hope, Lord God,
my confidence since my youth.
6 I have depended on[a] you since I was in the womb.
You separated me from my mother’s body.
My praise to you is continuous.
Statement of Present Need
7 I am like an evil omen to many,
but you are my strong refuge.
8 My mouth is filled with praise for you
and with your splendor all day long.
Plea for Help in Present Trouble
9 Do not throw me away in old age.
As my strength fails, do not forsake me.
10 For my enemies speak against me,
and those who seek my life conspire together.
11 They say, “God has forsaken him.
Pursue him and seize him,
because there is no one to rescue him.”
12 God, do not be far from me.
My God, hurry to help me.
13 Let them be ashamed.
Let my murderous accusers be consumed.
Let those who seek to harm me be covered
with shame and disgrace.
Present and Future Praise
14 But as for me, I will always keep hoping.
I will keep adding to my praise for you.
15 My mouth will tell about your righteousness,
about your salvation all day long,
although I do not know how to tell all about it.
16 I will come and tell about your mighty deeds, Lord God.
I will commemorate[b] your righteousness, yours alone.
17 God, you have taught me since my youth,
and even now I still declare your marvelous deeds.
18 Even when I am old and gray, O God, do not forsake me,
till I declare the strength of your arm to the next generation,
your power to all who are to come.
Closing Confidence
19 Your righteousness, God, reaches to the heights.
You have done great things.
God, who is like you,
20 you who have made us see many troubles and disasters?
You will give us life again.
From the depths of the earth you will bring me up again.
21 You will increase my greatness and comfort me once again.
Closing Praise
22 Yes, I will praise you, my God, for your faithfulness.
I will praise you with an instrument, with the harp.
I will make music to you with the lyre, O Holy One of Israel.
23 My lips will shout with joy when I make music to you.
Even my soul, which you have redeemed, will shout.
24 Indeed, my tongue will tell of your righteousness all day long.
How ashamed, how disgraced they are—
those who are trying to harm me.
Footnotes
- Psalm 71:6 Or been dependent on
- Psalm 71:16 The Hebrew term often refers to an act of public proclamation, which causes others to remember God’s goodness.
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.