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Psalm 71
Good News Translation
Psalm 71
Good News Translation
The Prayer of an Elderly Person
71 Lord, I have come to you for protection;
never let me be defeated!
2 Because you are righteous, help me and rescue me.
Listen to me and save me!
3 Be my secure shelter
and a strong fortress[a] to protect me;
you are my refuge and defense.
4 My God, rescue me from wicked people,
from the power of cruel and evil people.
5 Sovereign Lord, I put my hope in you;
I have trusted in you since I was young.
6 I have relied on you all my life;
you have protected[b] me since the day I was born.
I will always praise you.
7 My life has been an example to many,
because you have been my strong defender.
8 All day long I praise you
and proclaim your glory.
9 Do not reject me now that I am old;
do not abandon me now that I am feeble.
10 My enemies want to kill me;
they talk and plot against me.
11 They say, “God has abandoned him;
let's go after him and catch him;
there is no one to rescue him.”
12 Don't stay so far away, O God;
my God, hurry to my aid!
13 May those who attack me
be defeated and destroyed.
May those who try to hurt me
be shamed and disgraced.
14 I will always put my hope in you;
I will praise you more and more.
15 I will tell of your goodness;
all day long I will speak of your salvation,
though it is more than I can understand.
16 I will go in the strength of the Lord God;
I will proclaim your goodness, yours alone.
17 You have taught me ever since I was young,
and I still tell of your wonderful acts.
18 Now that I am old and my hair is gray,
do not abandon me, O God!
Be with me while I proclaim your power and might
to all generations to come.
19 Your righteousness, God, reaches the skies.
You have done great things;
there is no one like you.
20 You have sent troubles and suffering on me,
but you will restore my strength;
you will keep me from the grave.
21 You will make me greater than ever;
you will comfort me again.
22 I will indeed praise you with the harp;
I will praise your faithfulness, my God.
On my harp I will play hymns to you,
the Holy One of Israel.
23 I will shout for joy as I play for you;
with my whole being I will sing
because you have saved me.
24 I will speak of your righteousness all day long,
because those who tried to harm me
have been defeated and disgraced.
Footnotes
- Psalm 71:3 One ancient translation a strong fortress; Hebrew to go always you commanded.
- Psalm 71:6 Some ancient translations protected; Hebrew unclear.
Psalm 71
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
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
Complete Jewish Bible
Psalm 71
Complete Jewish Bible
71 In you, Adonai, I have taken refuge;
let me never be put to shame.
2 In your righteousness, rescue me;
and help me to escape.
Turn your ear toward me,
and deliver me.
3 Be for me a sheltering rock,
where I can always come.
You have determined to save me,
because you are my bedrock and stronghold.
4 My God, help me escape from the power of the wicked,
from the grasp of the unjust and ruthless.
5 For you are my hope, Adonai Elohim,
in whom I have trusted since I was young.
6 From birth I have relied on you;
it was you who took me from my mother’s womb.
7 To many, I am an amazing example;
but you are strong protection for me.
8 My mouth is full of praise for you,
filled with your glory all day long.
9 Don’t reject me when I grow old;
when my strength fails, don’t abandon me.
10 For my enemies are talking about me,
those seeking my life are plotting together.
11 They say, “God has abandoned him;
go after him, and seize him,
because no one will save him.”
12 God, don’t distance yourself from me!
My God, hurry to help me!
13 May those who are opposed to me
be put to shame and ruin;
may those who seek to harm me
be covered with scorn and disgrace.
14 But I, I will always hope
and keep adding to your praise.
15 All day long my mouth will tell
of your righteous deeds and acts of salvation,
though their number is past my knowing.
16 I will come in the power of Adonai Elohim
and recall your righteousness, yours alone.
17 God, you have taught me since I was young,
and I still proclaim your wonderful works.
18 So now that I’m old, and my hair is gray,
don’t abandon me, God, till I have proclaimed
your strength to the next generation,
your power to all who will come,
19 your righteousness too, God,
which reaches to the heights.
God, you have done great things;
who is there like you?
20 You have made me see much trouble and hardship,
but you will revive me again
and bring me up from the depths of the earth.
21 You will increase my honor;
turn and comfort me.
22 As for me, I will praise you with a lyre
for your faithfulness, my God.
I will sing praises to you with a lute,
Holy One of Isra’el.
23 My lips will shout for joy;
I will sing your praise, because you have redeemed me.
24 All day long my tongue
will speak of your righteousness.
For those who are seeking to harm me
will be put to shame and disgraced.
Psalm 71
The Message
Psalm 71
The Message
71 1-3 I run for dear life to God,
I’ll never live to regret it.
Do what you do so well:
get me out of this mess and up on my feet.
Put your ear to the ground and listen,
give me space for salvation.
Be a guest room where I can retreat;
you said your door was always open!
You’re my salvation—my vast, granite fortress.
4-7 My God, free me from the grip of Wicked,
from the clutch of Bad and Bully.
You keep me going when times are tough—
my bedrock, God, since my childhood.
I’ve hung on you from the day of my birth,
the day you took me from the cradle;
I’ll never run out of praise.
Many gasp in alarm when they see me,
but you take me in stride.
8-11 Just as each day brims with your beauty,
my mouth brims with praise.
But don’t turn me out to pasture when I’m old
or put me on the shelf when I can’t pull my weight.
My enemies are talking behind my back,
watching for their chance to knife me.
The gossip is: “God has abandoned him.
Pounce on him now; no one will help him.”
12-16 God, don’t just watch from the sidelines.
Come on! Run to my side!
My accusers—make them lose face.
Those out to get me—make them look
Like idiots, while I stretch out, reaching for you,
and daily add praise to praise.
I’ll write the book on your righteousness,
talk up your salvation all the day long,
never run out of good things to write or say.
I come in the power of the Lord God,
I post signs marking his right-of-way.
17-24 You got me when I was an unformed youth,
God, and taught me everything I know.
Now I’m telling the world your wonders;
I’ll keep at it until I’m old and gray.
God, don’t walk off and leave me
until I get out the news
Of your strong right arm to this world,
news of your power to the world yet to come,
Your famous and righteous
ways, O God.
God, you’ve done it all!
Who is quite like you?
You, who made me stare trouble in the face,
Turn me around;
Now let me look life in the face.
I’ve been to the bottom;
Bring me up, streaming with honors;
turn to me, be tender to me,
And I’ll take up the lute and thank you
to the tune of your faithfulness, God.
I’ll make music for you on a harp,
Holy One of Israel.
When I open up in song to you,
I let out lungsful of praise,
my rescued life a song.
All day long I’m chanting
about you and your righteous ways,
While those who tried to do me in
slink off looking ashamed.
Psalm 71
New International Version
Psalm 71
New International Version
Psalm 71(A)
1 In you, Lord, I have taken refuge;(B)
let me never be put to shame.(C)
2 In your righteousness, rescue me and deliver me;
turn your ear(D) to me and save me.
3 Be my rock of refuge,
to which I can always go;
give the command to save me,
for you are my rock and my fortress.(E)
4 Deliver(F) me, my God, from the hand of the wicked,(G)
from the grasp of those who are evil and cruel.(H)
5 For you have been my hope,(I) Sovereign Lord,
my confidence(J) since my youth.
6 From birth(K) I have relied on you;
you brought me forth from my mother’s womb.(L)
I will ever praise(M) you.
7 I have become a sign(N) to many;
you are my strong refuge.(O)
8 My mouth(P) is filled with your praise,
declaring your splendor(Q) all day long.
9 Do not cast(R) me away when I am old;(S)
do not forsake(T) me when my strength is gone.
10 For my enemies(U) speak against me;
those who wait to kill(V) me conspire(W) together.
11 They say, “God has forsaken(X) him;
pursue him and seize him,
for no one will rescue(Y) him.”
12 Do not be far(Z) from me, my God;
come quickly, God, to help(AA) me.
13 May my accusers(AB) perish in shame;(AC)
may those who want to harm me
be covered with scorn and disgrace.(AD)
14 As for me, I will always have hope;(AE)
I will praise you more and more.
15 My mouth will tell(AF) of your righteous deeds,(AG)
of your saving acts all day long—
though I know not how to relate them all.
16 I will come and proclaim your mighty acts,(AH) Sovereign Lord;
I will proclaim your righteous deeds, yours alone.
17 Since my youth, God, you have taught(AI) me,
and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds.(AJ)
18 Even when I am old and gray,(AK)
do not forsake me, my God,
till I declare your power(AL) to the next generation,
your mighty acts to all who are to come.(AM)
19 Your righteousness, God, reaches to the heavens,(AN)
you who have done great things.(AO)
Who is like you, God?(AP)
20 Though you have made me see troubles,(AQ)
many and bitter,
you will restore(AR) my life again;
from the depths of the earth(AS)
you will again bring me up.
21 You will increase my honor(AT)
and comfort(AU) me once more.
22 I will praise you with the harp(AV)
for your faithfulness, my God;
I will sing praise to you with the lyre,(AW)
Holy One of Israel.(AX)
23 My lips will shout for joy(AY)
when I sing praise to you—
I whom you have delivered.(AZ)
24 My tongue will tell of your righteous acts
all day long,(BA)
for those who wanted to harm me(BB)
have been put to shame and confusion.(BC)
Good News Translation (GNT) 
Good News Translation® (Today’s English Version, Second Edition) © 1992 American Bible Society. All rights reserved. For more information about GNT, visit www.bibles.com and www.gnt.bible.
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition (NRSVUE)
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.
Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)
Copyright © 1998 by David H. Stern. All rights reserved.
The Message (MSG)
Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.