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71 In you, Yahweh, I take refuge.
    Never let me be disappointed.
Deliver me in your righteousness, and rescue me.
    Turn your ear to me, and save me.
Be to me a rock of refuge to which I may always go.
    Give the command to save me,
    for you are my rock and my fortress.
Rescue me, my God, from the hand of the wicked,
    from the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man.
For you are my hope, Lord Yahweh,
    my confidence from my youth.
I have relied on you from the womb.
    You are he who took me out of my mother’s womb.
    I will always praise you.
I am a marvel to many,
    but you are my strong refuge.
My mouth shall be filled with your praise,
    with your honor all day long.
Don’t reject me in my old age.
    Don’t forsake me when my strength fails.
10 For my enemies talk about me.
    Those who watch for my soul conspire together,
11     saying, “God has forsaken him.
    Pursue and take him, for no one will rescue him.”
12 God, don’t be far from me.
    My God, hurry to help me.
13 Let my accusers be disappointed and consumed.
    Let them be covered with disgrace and scorn who want to harm me.
14 But I will always hope,
    and will add to all of your praise.
15 My mouth will tell about your righteousness,
    and of your salvation all day,
    though I don’t know its full measure.
16 I will come with the mighty acts of the Lord Yahweh.
    I will make mention of your righteousness, even of yours alone.
17 God, you have taught me from my youth.
    Until now, I have declared your wondrous works.
18 Yes, even when I am old and gray-haired, God, don’t forsake me,
    until I have declared your strength to the next generation,
    your might to everyone who is to come.
19 God, your righteousness also reaches to the heavens.
    You have done great things.
    God, who is like you?
20 You, who have shown us many and bitter troubles,
    you will let me live.
    You will bring us up again from the depths of the earth.
21 Increase my honor
    and comfort me again.
22 I will also praise you with the harp for your faithfulness, my God.
    I sing praises to you with the lyre, Holy One of Israel.
23 My lips shall shout for joy!
    My soul, which you have redeemed, sings praises to you!
24 My tongue will also talk about your righteousness all day long,
    for they are disappointed, and they are confounded,
    who want to harm me.

A Prayer for Deliverance

71 In you, Lord, I take refuge;
    let me never be humiliated.
Rescue and deliver me,[a] because you are righteous.
    Turn your ear to me and save me.
Be my sheltering refuge where I may go continuously;
    command my deliverance
        for you are my rock and fortress.

My God, deliver me from the power of the wicked
    and the grasp of ruthless practicers of evil.
For you are my hope, Lord God,
    my security since I was young.
I depended on you since birth,[b]
    when you brought me[c] from my mother’s womb;
        I praise you continuously.

I have become an example to many
    that you are my strong refuge.
My mouth is filled with your praise
    and your splendor daily.
Don’t throw me away when I am old;
    do not abandon me when my strength fails.

10 For my enemies talk against me;
    those who seek to kill me plot together
11 and say, “God has abandoned him.
    Run after him and seize him,
        because there’s no deliverer.”

12 God, do not be distant from me.
    My God, come quickly to help me.
13 Let my adversaries be ashamed and consumed;[d]
    let those who seek my destruction
        be covered with scorn and disgrace.
14 As for me, I will hope continuously
    and will praise you more and more.
15 I[e] will declare your righteousness
    and your salvation every day,
though I do not fully understand
    what the outcome will be.[f]
16 Lord God, I will come in the power of[g] your mighty acts,
    remembering your righteousness—yours alone.

17 God, you taught me from my youth,
    so I am still declaring your awesome deeds.

18 Also, when I reach old age and have gray hair,
    God, do not forsake me,
until I have declared your power
    to this generation
        and your might to the next one.
19 Your many righteous deeds,[h] God, are great,

20 God, who can compare to you,
who caused me to experience[i] troubles
that were numerous and disastrous?
You will return to revive me
    and lift me up from the depths of the earth.
21 You will increase my honor
    and comfort me once again.
22 I also will praise you with the harp;
    because of your faithfulness, my God,
I will praise you with the lyre—
    Holy One of Israel.
23 My lips will shout for joy when I sing praise to you,
    whose life you have redeemed.
24 Moreover, my tongue will speak all day about your justice;
    for those who seek my destruction will be utterly humiliated.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 71:2 So LXX DSS 4QPsa; MT reads In your righteousness you are delivering me and rescuing me
  2. Psalm 71:6 Lit. you from the womb
  3. Psalm 71:6 So MT; LXX reads birth, it was you who sheltered me; DSS 4QPsa reads birth, you are my protector
  4. Psalm 71:13 So MT; LXX reads and let them expire; DSS 4QPsa reads and let them be consumed
  5. Psalm 71:15 Lit. My mouth
  6. Psalm 71:15 Lit. understand the sum
  7. Psalm 71:16 The Heb. lacks the power of
  8. Psalm 71:19 Lit. righteous deeds as far as the height
  9. Psalm 71:20 Lit. see