Prayer of an Old Man for Rescue.

71 (A)In You, Lord, I have taken refuge;
Let me never be put to shame.
(B)In Your righteousness rescue me and save me;
(C)Extend Your ear to me and help me.
(D)Be to me a rock of (E)dwelling to which I may continually come;
You have given the (F)commandment to save me,
For You are (G)my rock and my fortress.
(H)Save me, my God, from the hand of the wicked,
From the [a]grasp of the wrongdoer and the ruthless,
For You are my (I)hope;
Lord [b]God, You are my (J)confidence from my youth.
I have (K)leaned on you since my birth;
You are He who (L)took me from my mother’s womb;
My (M)praise is continually [c]of You.

I have become a (N)marvel to many,
For You are (O)my strong refuge.
My (P)mouth is filled with Your praise
And with (Q)Your glory all day long.
Do not cast me away at the (R)time of my old age;
Do not abandon me when my strength fails.
10 For my enemies have spoken [d]against me;
And those who (S)watch for my [e]life (T)have consulted together,
11 Saying, “(U)God has abandoned him;
Pursue and seize him, for there is (V)no one to save him.”

12 God, (W)do not be far from me;
My God, (X)hurry to my aid!
13 May those who are enemies of my soul be (Y)put to shame and consumed;
May they be (Z)covered with disgrace and dishonor, who (AA)seek [f]to injure me.
14 But as for me, I will (AB)wait continually,
And will [g](AC)praise You yet more and more.
15 My (AD)mouth shall tell of Your righteousness
And of (AE)Your salvation all day long;
For I (AF)do not know the art of writing.
16 I will come (AG)with the mighty deeds of the Lord [h]God;
I will (AH)make mention of Your righteousness, Yours alone.

17 God, You (AI)have taught me from my youth,
And I still (AJ)declare Your wondrous deeds.
18 And even when I am (AK)old and gray, God, do not abandon me,
Until I (AL)declare Your [i]strength to this generation,
Your power to all who are to come.
19 [j]For Your (AM)righteousness, God, reaches to the [k]heavens,
You who have (AN)done great things;
God, (AO)who is like You?
20 You who have (AP)shown [l]me many troubles and distresses
Will (AQ)revive [m]me again,
And will bring [n]me up again (AR)from the depths of the earth.
21 May You increase my (AS)greatness
And turn to (AT)comfort me.

22 I will also praise You with [o](AU)a harp,
And Your [p]truth, my God;
I will sing praises to You with the (AV)lyre,
(AW)Holy One of Israel.
23 My lips will (AX)shout for joy when I sing praises to You;
And my (AY)soul, which You have redeemed.
24 My (AZ)tongue also will tell of Your righteousness all day long;
For they are (BA)put to shame, for they are humiliated who seek [q]my harm.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 71:4 Lit palm
  2. Psalm 71:5 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
  3. Psalm 71:6 Lit in
  4. Psalm 71:10 Lit with reference to
  5. Psalm 71:10 Lit soul
  6. Psalm 71:13 Lit my injury
  7. Psalm 71:14 Lit add upon all Your praise
  8. Psalm 71:16 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
  9. Psalm 71:18 Lit arm
  10. Psalm 71:19 Or And
  11. Psalm 71:19 Lit height
  12. Psalm 71:20 Another reading is us
  13. Psalm 71:20 Another reading is us
  14. Psalm 71:20 Another reading is us
  15. Psalm 71:22 Lit an instrument of a harp
  16. Psalm 71:22 Or faithfulness
  17. Psalm 71:24 Or to injure me

Psalm 71

Prayer for Lifelong Protection and Help

In you, O Lord, I take refuge;
    let me never be put to shame.(A)
In your righteousness deliver me and rescue me;
    incline your ear to me and save me.(B)
Be to me a rock of refuge,
    a strong fortress[a] to save me,
    for you are my rock and my fortress.(C)

Rescue me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked,
    from the grasp of the unjust and cruel.(D)
For you, O Lord, are my hope,
    my trust, O Lord, from my youth.(E)
From my birth I have leaned upon you,
    my protector since my mother’s womb.[b]
My praise is continually of you.(F)

I have been like a portent to many,
    but you are my strong refuge.(G)
My mouth is filled with your praise
    and with your glory all day long.(H)
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)

Footnotes

  1. 71.3 Gk: Heb to come continually you have commanded
  2. 71.6 Q ms Gk Jerome: MT from my mother’s womb you took me
  3. 71.18 Gk Compare Syr: Heb to a generation, to all who come