Psalms 31

1 For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David. In you, LORD, I take refuge. Let me never be disappointed. Deliver me in your righteousness.

Unto the end, a psalm for David, in an ecstasy. In thee, O Lord, have I hoped, let me never be confounded: deliver me in thy justice.

2 Bow down your ear to me. Deliver me speedily. Be to me a strong rock, a house of defense to save me.

Bow down thy ear to me: make haste to deliver me. Be thou unto me a God, a protector, and a house of refuge, to save me.

3 For you are my rock and my fortress, therefore for your name’s sake lead me and guide me.

For thou art my strength and my refuge; and for thy name’s sake thou wilt lead me, and nourish me.

4 Pluck me out of the net that they have laid secretly for me, for you are my stronghold.

Thou wilt bring me out of this snare, which they have hidden for me: for thou art my protector.

5 Into your hand I commend my spirit. You redeem me, LORD, God of truth.

Into thy hands I commend my spirit: thou hast redeemed me, O Lord, the God of truth.

6 I hate those who regard lying vanities, but I trust in the LORD.

Thou hast hated them that regard vanities, to no purpose. But I have hoped in the Lord:

7 I will be glad and rejoice in your loving kindness, for you have seen my affliction. You have known my soul in adversities.

I will be glad and rejoice in thy mercy. For thou best regarded my humility, thou hast saved my soul out of distresses.

8 You have not shut me up into the hand of the enemy. You have set my feet in a large place.

And thou hast not shut me up in the hands of the enemy: thou hast set my feet in a spacious place.

9 Have mercy on me, LORD, for I am in distress. My eye, my soul, and my body waste away with grief.

Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am afflicted: my eye is troubled with wrath, my soul, and my belly:

10 For my life is spent with sorrow, my years with sighing. My strength fails because of my iniquity. My bones are wasted away.

For my life is wasted with grief: and my years in sighs. My strength is weakened through poverty and my bones are disturbed.

11 Because of all my adversaries I have become utterly contemptible to my neighbors, a horror to my acquaintances. Those who saw me on the street fled from me.

I am become a reproach among all my enemies, and very much to my neighbours; and a fear to my acquaintance. They that saw me without fled from me.

12 I am forgotten from their hearts like a dead man. I am like broken pottery.

I am forgotten as one dead from the heart. I am become as a vessel that is destroyed.

13 For I have heard the slander of many, terror on every side, while they conspire together against me, they plot to take away my life.

For I have heard the blame of many that dwell round about. While they assembled together against me, they consulted to take away my life.

14 But I trust in you, LORD. I said, “You are my God.”

But I have put my trust in thee, O Lord: I said: Thou art my God.

15 My times are in your hand. Deliver me from the hand of my enemies, and from those who persecute me.

My lots are in thy hands. Deliver me out of the hands of my enemies; and from them that persecute me.

16 Make your face to shine on your servant. Save me in your loving kindness.

Make thy face to shine upon thy servant; save me in thy mercy.

17 Let me not be disappointed, LORD, for I have called on you. Let the wicked be disappointed. Let them be silent in Sheol (Sheol h7585).

Let me not be confounded, O Lord, for I have called upon thee. Let the wicked be ashamed, and be brought down to hell. (Sheol h7585)

18 Let the lying lips be mute, which speak against the righteous insolently, with pride and contempt.

Let deceitful lips be made dumb. Which speak iniquity against the just, with pride and abuse.

19 Oh how great is your goodness, which you have laid up for those who fear you, which you have worked for those who take refuge in you, before the sons of men!

O how great is the multitude of thy sweetness, O Lord, which thou hast hidden for them that fear thee! Which thou hast wrought for them that hope in thee, in the sight of the sons of men.

20 In the shelter of your presence you will hide them from the plotting of man. You will keep them secretly in a dwelling away from the strife of tongues.

Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy face, from the disturbance of men. Thou shalt protect them in thy tabernacle from the contradiction of tongues.

21 Praise be to the LORD, for he has shown me his marvelous loving kindness in a strong city.

Blessed be the Lord, for he hath shewn his wonderful mercy to me in a fortified city.

22 As for me, I said in my haste, “I am cut off from before your eyes.” Nevertheless you heard the voice of my petitions when I cried to you.

But I said in the excess of my mind: I am cast away from before thy eyes. Therefore thou hast heard the voice of my prayer, when I cried to thee.

23 Oh love the LORD, all you his saints! The LORD preserves the faithful, and fully recompenses him who behaves arrogantly.

O love the Lord, all ye his saints: for the Lord will require truth, and will repay them abundantly that act proudly.

24 Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who hope in the LORD.

Do ye manfully, and let your heart be strengthened, all ye that hope in the Lord.