Psalms 31

1 To the chief music-maker. A Psalm. Of David. In you, O Lord, have I put my hope; let me never be shamed; keep me safe in your righteousness.

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

2 Let your ear be turned to me; take me quickly out of danger; be my strong Rock, my place of strength where I may be safe.

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

3 For you are my Rock and my strong tower; go in front of me and be my guide, because of your name.

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

4 Take me out of the net which they have put ready for me secretly; for you are my strength.

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

5 Into your hands I give my spirit; you are my saviour, O Lord God for ever true.

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

6 I am full of hate for those who go after false gods; but my hope is in the Lord.

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

7 I will be glad and have delight in your mercy; because you have seen my trouble; you have had pity on my soul in its sorrows;

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

8 And you have not given me into the hand of my hater; you have put my feet in a wide place.

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

9 Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am in trouble; my eyes are wasted with grief, I am wasted in soul and body.

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

10 My life goes on in sorrow, and my years in weeping; my strength is almost gone because of my sin, and my bones are wasted away.

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

11 Because of all those who are against me, I have become a word of shame to my neighbours; a cause of shaking the head and a fear to my friends: those who saw me in the street went in flight from me.

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

12 I have gone from men's minds and memory like a dead man; I am like a broken vessel.

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

13 False statements against me have come to my ears; fear was on every side: they were talking together against me, designing to take away my life.

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.

14 But I had faith in you, O Lord; I said, You are my God.

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

15 The chances of my life are in your hand; take me out of the hands of my haters, and of those who go after me.

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

16 Let your servant see the light of your face; in your mercy be my saviour.

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

17 Let me not be shamed, O Lord, for I have made my prayer to you; let the sinners be shamed, and let their mouths be shut in the underworld. (Sheol h7585)

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)

18 Let the false lips be shut, which say evil against the upright, looking down on him in their pride.

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

19 O how great is your grace, which you have put in store for your worshippers, and which you have made clear to those who had faith in you, before the sons of men!

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!

20 You will keep them safe in your house from the designs of man; in the secret of your tent will you keep them from angry tongues.

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.

21 May the Lord be praised, because he has made clear to me the wonder of his grace in a strong town.

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

22 And as for me, I said in my fear, I am cut off from before your eyes; but you gave ear to the voice of my prayer, when my cry went up to you.

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.

23 O have love for the Lord, all you his saints; for the Lord keeps safe from danger all those who are true to him, and gives the workers of pride their right reward.

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

24 Put away fear and let your heart be strong, all you whose hope is in the Lord.

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