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A Prayer to God the Rock of Refuge

71 In you, O Yahweh, I have taken refuge;
let me never be put to shame.
In your righteousness deliver me and rescue me;
incline your ear to me and save me.
Be for me a rock of refuge to resort to always;
you have ordained[a] to save me,
because you are my rock and my fortress.
My God, rescue me from the hand of the wicked,
from the grasp[b] of the evildoer and the oppressor,
because you are my hope,
O Lord Yahweh, my confidence from my youth.
Upon you I have leaned from birth.[c]
It was you who took[d] me from the womb of my mother.
My praise is of you continually.
I have become a wonder to many,
but you are my strong refuge.
My mouth is filled with your praise,
with your glory all the day.
Do not cast me away in the time of old age;
when my strength fails do not abandon me.
10 For my enemies talk concerning me,
and those who watch for my life conspire together,
11 saying, “His God has abandoned him.
Pursue and seize him, because there is no deliverer.”
12 O God, do not be far from me.
My God, hurry to help me.
13 Let them be ashamed; let them perish
who are my adversaries.[e]
Let them wrap themselves with scorn and disgrace
who seek my harm.
14 But as for me, I will hope continually
and increase your praise.
15 My mouth will tell of your righteousness,
your salvation all day long,[f]
though I do not know the full sum of them.
16 I will come in to tell the mighty deeds of Lord Yahweh.
I will make known[g] your righteousness, yours only.
17 O God, you have taught me from my youth,
and up to now I have proclaimed your wonderful deeds.
18 And even when I am old and gray,
O God, do not abandon me
until I proclaim your strength[h] to this generation,
your power to every one that comes after.
19 And your righteousness, O God, is to the height of heaven.
You who have done great things,
O God, who is like you?
20 You who have caused me[i] to see many troubles and evils,
you will again revive me.[j]
And from the depths of the earth
you will again bring me up.
21 You will increase my greatness,
and you will comfort me all around.[k]
22 On my part, I will praise you with a stringed instrument,
and your faithfulness, O my God.
I will sing praises to you with a lyre,
O Holy One of Israel.
23 My lips will sing 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 the day,
because they have been put to shame, because they have been humiliated
who seek my harm.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 71:3 Or “commanded”
  2. Psalm 71:4 Literally “palm”
  3. Psalm 71:6 Literally “from the belly”
  4. Psalm 71:6 Literally “cut,” that is, the umbilical cord
  5. Psalm 71:13 Literally “adversaries of my soul”
  6. Psalm 71:15 Literally “all the day”
  7. Psalm 71:16 Literally “bring to remembrance”
  8. Psalm 71:18 Literally “arm”
  9. Psalm 71:20 According to the reading tradition (Qere)
  10. Psalm 71:20 According to the reading tradition (Qere)
  11. Psalm 71:21 A slightly different vocalization yields, “… comfort me again”; compare the LXX.

Prayer of an old man for deliverance.

71 In thee, O Jehovah, do I take refuge:
Let me never be put to shame.
Deliver me in thy righteousness, and rescue me:
Bow down thine ear unto me, and save me.
Be thou to me a rock of habitation, whereunto I may continually resort:
Thou hast given commandment to save me;
For thou art my rock and my fortress.
Rescue me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked,
Out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man.
For thou art my hope, O Lord Jehovah:
Thou art my trust from my youth.
By thee have I been holden up from the womb;
Thou [a]art he that took me out of my mother’s bowels:
My praise shall be continually of thee.
I am as a wonder unto many;
But thou art my strong refuge.
My mouth shall be filled with thy praise,
And with thy honor all the day.
Cast me not off in the time of old age;
Forsake me not when my strength faileth.
10 For mine enemies speak concerning me;
And they that watch for my soul take counsel together,
11 Saying, God hath forsaken him:
Pursue and take him; for there is none to deliver.
12 O God, be not far from me;
O my God, make haste to help me.
13 Let them be put to shame and consumed that are adversaries to my soul;
Let them be covered with reproach and dishonor that seek my hurt.
14 But I will hope continually,
And will praise thee yet more and more.
15 My mouth shall tell of thy righteousness,
And of thy salvation all the day;
For I know not the numbers thereof.
16 I will come [b]with the mighty acts of the Lord Jehovah:
I will make mention of thy righteousness, even of thine only.
17 O God, thou hast taught me from my youth;
And hitherto have I declared thy wondrous works.
18 Yea, even [c]when I am old and grayheaded, O God, forsake me not,
Until I have declared [d]thy strength unto the next generation,
Thy might to every one that is to come.
19 Thy righteousness also, O God, is very high;
Thou who hast done great things, O God, who is like unto thee?
20 Thou, who hast showed [e]us many and sore troubles,
Wilt quicken [f]us again,
And wilt bring [g]us up again from the depths of the earth.
21 Increase thou my greatness,
And turn again and comfort me.
22 I will also praise thee with the psaltery,
Even thy truth, O my God:
Unto thee will I sing praises with the harp,
O thou Holy One of Israel.
23 My lips shall shout for joy when I sing praises unto thee;
And my soul, which thou hast redeemed.
24 My tongue also shall talk of thy righteousness all the day long;
For they are put to shame, for they are confounded, that seek my hurt.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 71:6 Or, hast been my benefactor from etc.
  2. Psalm 71:16 Or, in the strength
  3. Psalm 71:18 Hebrew unto old age and gray hairs.
  4. Psalm 71:18 Hebrew thine arm.
  5. Psalm 71:20 Another reading is, me.
  6. Psalm 71:20 Another reading is, me.
  7. Psalm 71:20 Another reading is, me.