Psalm 71

God’s Help in Old Age

Lord, I seek refuge in You;
let me never be disgraced.(A)
In Your justice, rescue and deliver me;
listen closely to me and save me.(B)
Be a rock of refuge for me,
where I can always go.
Give the command to save me,
for You are my rock and fortress.(C)
Deliver me, my God, from the power of the wicked,
from the grasp of the unjust and oppressive.(D)
For You are my hope, Lord God,
my confidence from my youth.(E)
I have leaned on You from birth;
You took me from my mother’s womb.(F)
My praise is always about You.(G)
I have become an ominous sign to many,
but You are my strong refuge.(H)
My mouth is full of praise
and honor to You all day long.(I)

Don’t discard me in my old age;
as my strength fails, do not abandon me.(J)
10 For my enemies talk about me,
and those who spy on me plot together,(K)
11 saying, “God has abandoned him;
chase him and catch him,
for there is no one to rescue him.”(L)
12 God, do not be far from me;
my God, hurry to help me.(M)
13 May my adversaries be disgraced and destroyed;
may those who seek my harm
be covered with disgrace and humiliation.(N)
14 But I will hope continually
and will praise You more and more.(O)
15 My mouth will tell about Your righteousness
and Your salvation all day long,
though I cannot sum them up.(P)
16 I come because of the mighty acts of the Lord God;
I will proclaim Your righteousness, Yours alone.(Q)

17 God, You have taught me from my youth,
and I still proclaim Your wonderful works.(R)
18 Even when I am old and gray,
God, do not abandon me.(S)
Then I will[a] proclaim Your power
to another generation,
Your strength to all who are to come.(T)
19 Your righteousness reaches heaven, God,
You who have done great things;
God, who is like You?(U)
20 You caused me to experience
many troubles and misfortunes,(V)
but You will revive me again.(W)
You will bring me up again,
even from the depths of the earth.(X)
21 You will increase my honor
and comfort me once again.(Y)
22 Therefore, I will praise You with a harp
for Your faithfulness, my God;
I will sing to You with a lyre,
Holy One of Israel.(Z)
23 My lips will shout for joy
when I sing praise to You
because You have redeemed me.(AA)
24 Therefore, my tongue will proclaim
Your righteousness all day long,
for those who seek my harm
will be disgraced and confounded.(AB)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 71:18 Lit me until I

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

Forsake Me Not When My Strength Is Spent

71 (A)In you, O Lord, do I take refuge;
    let me never be put to shame!
In your righteousness deliver me and rescue me;
    incline your ear to me, and save me!
Be to me a rock of (B)refuge,
    to which I may continually come;
you have (C)given the command to save me,
    for you are my (D)rock and my fortress.

(E)Rescue me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked,
    from the grasp of the unjust and cruel man.
For you, O Lord, are my (F)hope,
    my trust, O Lord, from my youth.
Upon you I have leaned (G)from before my birth;
    you are he who (H)took me from my mother's womb.
My praise is continually of you.

I have been as (I)a portent to many,
    but you are my strong refuge.
My (J)mouth is filled with your praise,
    and with your glory all the day.
(K)Do not cast me off in the time of old age;
    forsake me not when my strength is spent.
10 For my enemies speak concerning me;
    those who (L)watch for my life (M)consult together
11 and say, “God has forsaken him;
    pursue and seize him,
    for there is none to deliver him.”

12 O God, be not (N)far from me;
    O my God, (O)make haste to help me!
13 May my accusers be (P)put to shame and consumed;
    (Q)with scorn and disgrace may they be covered
    who (R)seek my hurt.
14 But I will (S)hope continually
    and will (T)praise you yet more and more.
15 My (U)mouth will tell of your righteous acts,
    of your deeds of salvation all the day,
    for (V)their number is past my knowledge.
16 With the mighty deeds of the Lord God I will come;
    I will remind them of your righteousness, yours alone.

17 O God, from my youth you have taught me,
    and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds.
18 So even to (W)old age and gray hairs,
    O God, (X)do not forsake me,
until I proclaim your might to another generation,
    your power to all those to come.
19 Your (Y)righteousness, O God,
    reaches the high heavens.
You who have done (Z)great things,
    O God, (AA)who is like you?
20 You who have (AB)made me see many troubles and calamities
    will (AC)revive me again;
from the depths of the earth
    you will bring me up again.
21 You will increase my greatness
    and comfort me again.

22 I will also praise you with (AD)the harp
    for your faithfulness, O my God;
I will sing praises to you with the lyre,
    O (AE)Holy One of Israel.
23 My lips will shout for joy,
    when I sing praises to you;
    my soul also, which you have (AF)redeemed.
24 And my (AG)tongue will talk of your righteous help all the day long,
for they have been (AH)put to shame and disappointed
    who sought to do me hurt.