Psalm 71
Expanded Bible
An Old Person’s Prayer
71 In you, Lord, ·is my protection [L I find refuge].
Never let me be ashamed.
2 Because you ·do what is right [are righteous], ·save [protect] and rescue me;
·listen [L extend your ear] to me and ·save me [give me victory].
3 Be my ·place of safety [L rock of refuge]
where I can always come.
Give the command to ·save me [give me victory],
because you are my rock and my ·strong, walled city [fortress].
4 My God, ·save [rescue] me from the ·power [L hand] of the wicked
and from the ·hold [grasp; L palm] of evil and cruel people.
5 Lord, you are my hope.
Lord, I have ·trusted [had confidence in] you since I was young.
6 I have ·depended [L leaned] on you ·since I was born [L from the belly; C the womb];
you ·helped me even on the day of my birth [brought me forth/cut off my umbilical cord from my mother’s innards].
I will always praise you.
7 I am an ·example [portent] to many people,
because you are my strong ·protection [refuge].
8 ·I am always praising you [L My mouth is filled with your praise];
all day long I ·honor [glorify] you.
9 Do not ·reject me [cast me off] when I am old;
do not ·leave [abandon; forsake] me when my strength is ·gone [exhausted].
10 My enemies ·make plans [speak] against me,
and they ·meet [take counsel] together to kill me.
11 They say, “God has ·left [abandoned; forsaken] him.
·Go after [Pursue; Persecute] him and ·take [capture] him,
because no one will ·save [protect] him.”
12 God, don’t be far off.
My God, hurry to help me.
13 Let those who accuse me
be ashamed and ·destroyed [annihilated].
Let those who are ·trying [seeking] to hurt me
be covered with shame and disgrace.
14 But I will always have hope
and will praise you more and more.
15 ·I will tell how you do what is right [L My mouth will recount your righteousness].
I will tell about your ·salvation [victory] all day long,
even though ·it is more than I can tell [L I do not know the number].
16 I will come and tell about your powerful works, Lord God.
I will remind people ·that only you do what is right [L that you alone are righteous].
17 God, you have taught me since I was young.
To this day I tell ·about the miracles you do [of your wonderful works].
18 Even though I am old and gray,
do not ·leave [abandon; forsake] me, God.
I will tell ·the children [L a generation, to all that come] about your ·power [L arm];
I will tell of your might.
19 God, your ·justice [righteousness] reaches to the ·skies [L high heavens].
You have done great things;
God, there is no one like you.
20 You have ·given [L shown] me ·many troubles [much distress] and bad times,
but you will give me life again.
·When I am almost dead [L From the depths of the earth],
you ·will keep me alive [L again bring me up].
21 You will make me greater than ever,
and you will comfort me again.
22 I will ·praise [thank] you with the harp.
·I trust you […for your faithfulness], my God.
I will ·sing to [make a psalm for] you with the lyre,
Holy One of Israel.
23 ·I will [L My lips] shout for joy when I ·sing praises to [make a psalm for] you.
You have ·saved [redeemed] me.
24 ·I [L My tongue] will tell about your ·justice [righteousness] all day long.
And those who ·want [seek] to hurt me
will be ·ashamed [scorned and reproached] and disgraced.
Psalm 71
Amplified Bible
Prayer of an Old Man for Rescue.
71 In you, O Lord, I have put my trust and confidently taken refuge;
Let me never be [a]put to shame.
2
In Your righteousness deliver me and rescue me;
Incline Your ear to me and save me.
3
Be to me a rock of refuge and a sheltering stronghold to which I may continually come;
You have given the commandment to save me,
For You are my rock and my fortress.
4
Rescue me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked (godless),
From the grasp of the unrighteous and ruthless man.
5
For You are my hope;
O Lord God, You are my trust and the source of my confidence from my youth.
6
Upon You have I relied and been sustained from my birth;
You are He who took me from my mother’s womb and You have been my benefactor from that day.
My praise is continually of You.
7
I am as a wonder to many,
For You are my strong refuge.
8
My mouth is filled with Your praise
And with Your glory all day long.
9
Do not cast me off nor send me away in the time of old age;
Do not abandon me when my strength fails and I am weak.
10
For my enemies have spoken against me;
Those who watch for my life have consulted together,
11
Saying, “God has abandoned him;
Pursue and seize him, for there is no one to rescue him.”
12
O God, do not be far from me;
O my God, come quickly to help me!
13
Let those who attack my life be ashamed and consumed;
Let them be covered with reproach and dishonor, who seek to injure me.
14
But as for me, I will wait and hope continually,
And will praise You yet more and more.
15
My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness
And of Your [deeds of] salvation all day long,
For their number is more than I know.
16
I will come with the mighty acts of the Lord God [and in His strength];
I will make mention of Your righteousness, Yours alone.
17
O God, You have taught me from my youth,
And I still declare Your wondrous works and miraculous deeds.
18
And even when I am old and gray-headed, O God, do not abandon me,
Until I declare Your [mighty] strength to this generation,
Your power to all who are to come.
19
Your righteousness, O God, reaches to the [height of the] heavens,
You who have done great things;
O God, who is like You, [who is Your equal]?
20
You who have shown [b]me many troubles and distresses
Will revive and renew me again,
And will bring me up again from the depths of the earth.
21
May You increase my greatness (honor)
And turn to comfort me.
22
I will also praise You with the harp,
Your truth and faithfulness, O my God;
To You I will sing praises with the lyre,
O Holy One of Israel.
23
My lips will shout for joy when I sing praises to You,
And my soul, which You have redeemed.
24
My tongue also will speak of Your righteousness all day long;
For they are ashamed, for they are humiliated who seek my injury.
Footnotes
- Psalm 71:1 I.e. have my expectations in Your goodness be disappointed.
- Psalm 71:20 Another reading is us.
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631. All rights reserved.
