Psalm 31

A Plea for Protection

For the choir director. A psalm of David.

Lord, I seek refuge in you;
let me never be disgraced.(A)
Save me by your righteousness.
Listen closely to me; rescue me quickly.
Be a rock of refuge for me,
a mountain fortress to save me.(B)
For you are my rock and my fortress;(C)
you lead and guide me
for your name’s sake.(D)
You will free me from the net
that is secretly set for me,
for you are my refuge.(E)
Into your hand I entrust my spirit;(F)
you have redeemed me,[a] Lord, God of truth.(G)

I[b] hate those who are devoted to worthless idols,
but I trust in the Lord.(H)
I will rejoice and be glad in your faithful love
because you have seen my affliction.
You know the troubles of my soul(I)
and have not handed me over to the enemy.(J)
You have set my feet in a spacious place.(K)

Be gracious to me, Lord,
because I am in distress;(L)
my eyes are worn out from frustration—
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 iniquity,[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)
rescue me from the power of my enemies
and from my persecutors.(V)
16 Make your face shine on your servant;(W)
save me by your faithful love.(X)
17 Lord, do not let me be disgraced when I call on you.(Y)
Let the wicked be disgraced;
let them be quiet[e][f] in Sheol.(Z)
18 Let lying lips(AA)
that arrogantly speak against the righteous
in proud contempt be silenced.(AB)

19 How great is your goodness,
which you have stored up for those who fear you.
In the presence of everyone[g] you have acted
for those who take refuge in you.(AC)
20 You hide them in the protection of your presence;(AD)
you conceal them in a shelter
from human schemes,
from quarrelsome tongues.(AE)
21 Blessed be the Lord,
for he has wondrously shown his faithful love to me
in a city under siege.(AF)
22 In my alarm I said,
“I am cut off from your sight.”(AG)
But you heard the sound of my pleading
when I cried to you for help.(AH)

23 Love the Lord, all his faithful ones.(AI)
The Lord protects the loyal,
but fully repays the arrogant.(AJ)
24 Be strong, and let your heart be courageous,(AK)
all you who put your hope in the Lord.(AL)

Footnotes

  1. 31:5 Or spirit. Redeem me
  2. 31:6 One Hb ms, LXX, Syr, Vg, Jer read You
  3. 31:9 Lit my soul and my belly
  4. 31:10 LXX, Syr, Sym read affliction
  5. 31:17 LXX reads brought down
  6. 31:17 Or them wail
  7. 31:19 Or of the descendants of Adam

Jesus Prays for Himself

17 Jesus spoke these things, looked up to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son so that the Son(A) may glorify you,(B) since you gave him authority over all people,[a](C) so that he may give eternal life(D) to everyone you have given him.(E) This is eternal life: that they may know you, the only(F) true(G) God, and the one you have sent(H) —Jesus Christ.(I) I have glorified you on the earth by completing the work you gave me to do. Now, Father,(J) glorify me in your presence with that glory(K) I had with you before the world existed.(L)

Jesus Prays for His Disciples

“I have revealed your name(M) to the people you gave me(N) from the world.(O) They were yours, you gave them to me,(P) and they have kept your word.(Q) Now they know that everything you have given me is from you, because I have given them the words you gave me.(R) They have received them and have known for certain that I came from you.(S) They have believed that you sent me.

“I pray[b] for them. I am not praying for the world but for those you have given me,(T) because they are yours. 10 Everything I have is yours, and everything you have is mine,(U) and I am glorified in them. 11 I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you.(V) Holy(W) Father, protect[c] them by your name(X) that you have given me, so that they may be one(Y) as we are(Z) one. 12 While I was with them, I was protecting them by your name that you have given me. I guarded(AA) them and not one of them is lost, except the son of destruction,[d] so that the Scripture(AB) may be fulfilled.(AC) 13 Now I am coming to you, and I speak these things in the world so that they may have my joy completed in them. 14 I have given them your word. The world hated(AD) them because they are not of the world,(AE) just as I am not of the world.(AF) 15 I am not praying that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.(AG) 16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.(AH) 17 Sanctify(AI) them by the truth; (AJ) your word is truth. 18 As you sent me into the world,(AK) I also have sent them into the world. 19 I sanctify myself for them, so that they also may be sanctified by the truth.

Jesus Prays for All Believers

20 “I pray not only for these, but also for those who believe in me through their word. 21 May they all be one,(AL) as you, Father, are in me and I am in you.(AM) May they also be[e] in us, so that the world may believe you sent me. 22 I have given them the glory(AN) you have given me, so that they may be one as we are one. 23 I am in them and you are in me,(AO) so that they may be made completely one, that the world may know you have sent me and have loved(AP) them as you have loved me.(AQ)

24 “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am,(AR) so that they will see my glory, which you have given me because you loved me before the world’s foundation. 25 Righteous Father, the world has not known you. However, I have known you,(AS) and they have known that you sent me. 26 I made your name(AT) known to them and will continue to make it known, so that the love you have loved me with may be in them and I may be in them.”(AU)

Footnotes

  1. 17:2 Or flesh
  2. 17:9 Lit ask (throughout this passage)
  3. 17:11 Lit keep (throughout this passage)
  4. 17:12 The one destined for destruction, loss, or perdition
  5. 17:21 Other mss add one

29 Don’t plan any harm against your neighbor,(A)
for he trusts you and lives near you.
30 Don’t accuse anyone without cause,(B)
when he has done you no harm.

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