A Psalm of Complaint and of Praise.

For the music director. A Psalm of David.

31 (A)In You, Lord, I have taken refuge;
Let me never (B)be [a]put to shame;
(C)In Your righteousness rescue me.
(D)Incline Your ear to me, rescue me quickly;
Be a (E)rock of [b]strength for me,
A [c]stronghold to save me.
For You are my rock and (F)my fortress;
For the (G)sake of Your name You will lead me and guide me.
You will (H)pull me out of the net which they have secretly laid for me,
For You are my (I)strength.
(J)Into Your hand I entrust my spirit;
You have (K)redeemed me, Lord, (L)God of [d]truth.

I hate those who (M)devote themselves to worthless [e]idols,
But I (N)trust in the Lord.
I will (O)rejoice and be glad in Your faithfulness,
Because You have (P)seen my misery;
You have known the troubles of my soul,
And You have not (Q)handed me over to the enemy;
You have set my feet in a large place.

Be gracious to me, Lord, for (R)I am in distress;
My (S)eye is wasted away from grief, (T)my soul and my body too.
10 For my life is spent with (U)sorrow
And my years with sighing;
My (V)strength has failed because of my guilt,
And (W)my [f]body has wasted away.
11 Because of all my adversaries, I have become a (X)disgrace,
Especially to my (Y)neighbors,
And an object of dread to my acquaintances;
Those who see me in the street flee from me.
12 I am (Z)forgotten like a dead person, out of mind;
I am like a broken vessel.
13 For I have heard the [g](AA)slander of many,
(AB)Terror is on every side;
While they (AC)took counsel together against me,
They (AD)schemed to take away my life.

14 But as for me, I trust in You, Lord,
I say, “(AE)You are my God.”
15 My (AF)times are in Your hand;
(AG)Rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from those who persecute me.
16 Make Your (AH)face shine upon Your servant;
(AI)Save me in Your faithfulness.
17 Let me not be (AJ)put to shame, Lord, for I call upon You;
Let the (AK)wicked be put to shame, let them (AL)be silent in [h]Sheol.
18 Let the (AM)lying lips be speechless,
Which (AN)speak arrogantly against the righteous
With pride and contempt.

19 How great is Your (AO)goodness,
Which You have stored up for those who fear You,
Which You have performed for those who (AP)take refuge in You,
(AQ)Before the sons of mankind!
20 You hide them in the (AR)secret place of Your presence from the (AS)conspiracies of mankind;
You keep them secretly in a [i]shelter from the (AT)strife of tongues.
21 (AU)Blessed be the Lord,
For He has shown His (AV)marvelous faithfulness to me in a besieged (AW)city.
22 As for me, (AX)I said in my alarm,
“I am (AY)cut off from Your eyes”;
Nevertheless You (AZ)heard the sound of my pleadings
When I called to You for help.

23 Love the Lord, all (BA)His godly ones!
The Lord (BB)watches over the faithful
But fully (BC)repays the one who acts arrogantly.
24 (BD)Be strong and let your heart take courage,
All you who wait for the Lord.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 31:1 Or ashamed;
  2. Psalm 31:2 Or refuge, protection
  3. Psalm 31:2 Lit house of a stronghold
  4. Psalm 31:5 Or faithfulness
  5. Psalm 31:6 Lit futilities
  6. Psalm 31:10 Or bones, substance
  7. Psalm 31:13 Lit whispering
  8. Psalm 31:17 I.e., the netherworld
  9. Psalm 31:20 Or pavilion

Psalm 31

A Plea for Protection

For the choir director. A Davidic psalm.

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
because of Your name.(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 redeem[a] me, 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 have known the troubles of my life(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 angry sorrow—
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 sinfulness,[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)
deliver me from the power of my enemies
and from my persecutors.(V)
16 Show Your favor to Your servant;
save me by Your faithful love.(W)
17 Lord, do not let me be disgraced when I call on You.(X)
Let the wicked be disgraced;
let them be silent[e][f] in Sheol.(Y)
18 Let lying lips be quieted;(Z)
they speak arrogantly against the righteous
with pride and contempt.(AA)

19 How great is Your goodness
that You have stored up for those who fear You
and accomplished in the sight of everyone
for those who take refuge in You.(AB)
20 You hide them in the protection of Your presence;
You conceal them in a shelter[g]
from the schemes of men,
from quarrelsome tongues.(AC)
21 May the Lord be praised,
for He has wonderfully shown His faithful love to me
in a city under siege.[h](AD)
22 In my alarm I had said,
“I am cut off from Your sight.”(AE)
But You heard the sound of my pleading
when I cried to You for help.(AF)

23 Love the Lord, all His faithful ones.(AG)
The Lord protects the loyal,
but fully repays the arrogant.(AH)
24 Be strong[i] and courageous,
all you who put your hope in the Lord.(AI)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 31:5 Or You have redeemed, or You will redeem, or spirit. Redeem
  2. Psalm 31:6 One Hb ms, LXX, Syr, Vg, Jer read You
  3. Psalm 31:9 Lit my soul and my belly
  4. Psalm 31:10 LXX, Syr, Sym read affliction
  5. Psalm 31:17 LXX reads brought down
  6. Psalm 31:17 Or them perish, or them wail
  7. Psalm 31:20 Lit canopy
  8. Psalm 31:21 Or a fortified city
  9. Psalm 31:24 Lit Let your heart be strong