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Psalm 31
Living Bible
Psalm 31
Living Bible
31 Lord, I trust in you alone. Don’t let my enemies defeat me. Rescue me because you are the God who always does what is right. 2 Answer quickly when I cry to you; bend low and hear my whispered plea.[a] Be for me a great Rock of safety from my foes. 3 Yes, you are my Rock and my fortress; honor your name by leading me out of this peril. 4 Pull me from the trap my enemies have set for me. For you alone are strong enough.[b] 5-6 Into your hand I commit my spirit.
You have rescued me, O God who keeps his promises. I worship only you; how you hate all those who worship idols, those imitation gods. 7 I am radiant with joy because of your mercy, for you have listened to my troubles and have seen the crisis in my soul. 8 You have not handed me over to my enemy but have given me open ground in which to maneuver.
9-10 O Lord, have mercy on me in my anguish. My eyes are red from weeping; my health is broken from sorrow. I am pining away with grief; my years are shortened, drained away because of sadness. My sins have sapped my strength; I stoop with sorrow and with shame.[c] 11 I am scorned by all my enemies and even more by my neighbors and friends. They dread meeting me and look the other way when I go by. 12 I am forgotten like a dead man, like a broken and discarded pot. 13 I heard the lies about me, the slanders of my enemies. Everywhere I looked I was afraid, for they were plotting against my life.
14-15 But I am trusting you, O Lord. I said, “You alone are my God; my times are in your hands. Rescue me from those who hunt me down relentlessly. 16 Let your favor shine again upon your servant; save me just because you are so kind! 17 Don’t disgrace me, Lord, by not replying when I call to you for aid. But let the wicked be shamed by what they trust in; let them lie silently in their graves, 18 their lying lips quieted at last—the lips of these arrogant men who are accusing honest men of evil deeds.”
19 Oh, how great is your goodness to those who publicly declare that you will rescue them. For you have stored up great blessings for those who trust and reverence you.
20 Hide your loved ones in the shelter of your presence, safe beneath your hand, safe from all conspiring men. 21 Blessed is the Lord, for he has shown me that his never-failing love protects me like the walls of a fort! 22 I spoke too hastily when I said, “The Lord has deserted me,” for you listened to my plea and answered me.
23 Oh, love the Lord, all of you who are his people; for the Lord protects those who are loyal to him, but harshly punishes all who haughtily reject him. 24 So cheer up! Take courage if you are depending on the Lord.
Footnotes
- Psalm 31:2 hear my whispered plea, implied.
- Psalm 31:4 For you alone are strong enough, literally, “For you are my refuge.”
- Psalm 31:9 My sins have sapped my strength; I stoop with sorrow and with shame, literally, “Even my bones are rotting away.”
Psalm 31
New International Version
Psalm 31
New International Version
Psalm 31[a](A)
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
1 In you, Lord, I have taken refuge;(B)
let me never be put to shame;
deliver me in your righteousness.(C)
2 Turn your ear to me,(D)
come quickly to my rescue;(E)
be my rock of refuge,(F)
a strong fortress to save me.
3 Since you are my rock and my fortress,(G)
for the sake of your name(H) lead and guide me.
4 Keep me free from the trap(I) that is set for me,
for you are my refuge.(J)
5 Into your hands I commit my spirit;(K)
deliver me, Lord, my faithful God.(L)
6 I hate those who cling to worthless idols;(M)
as for me, I trust in the Lord.(N)
7 I will be glad and rejoice in your love,
for you saw my affliction(O)
and knew the anguish(P) of my soul.
8 You have not given me into the hands(Q) of the enemy
but have set my feet in a spacious place.(R)
9 Be merciful to me, Lord, for I am in distress;(S)
my eyes grow weak with sorrow,(T)
my soul and body(U) with grief.
10 My life is consumed by anguish(V)
and my years by groaning;(W)
my strength fails(X) because of my affliction,[b](Y)
and my bones grow weak.(Z)
11 Because of all my enemies,(AA)
I am the utter contempt(AB) of my neighbors(AC)
and an object of dread to my closest friends—
those who see me on the street flee from me.
12 I am forgotten as though I were dead;(AD)
I have become like broken pottery.
13 For I hear many whispering,(AE)
“Terror on every side!”(AF)
They conspire against me(AG)
and plot to take my life.(AH)
14 But I trust(AI) in you, Lord;
I say, “You are my God.”
15 My times(AJ) are in your hands;
deliver me from the hands of my enemies,
from those who pursue me.
16 Let your face shine(AK) on your servant;
save me in your unfailing love.(AL)
17 Let me not be put to shame,(AM) Lord,
for I have cried out to you;
but let the wicked be put to shame
and be silent(AN) in the realm of the dead.
18 Let their lying lips(AO) be silenced,
for with pride and contempt
they speak arrogantly(AP) against the righteous.
19 How abundant are the good things(AQ)
that you have stored up for those who fear you,
that you bestow in the sight of all,(AR)
on those who take refuge(AS) in you.
20 In the shelter(AT) of your presence you hide(AU) them
from all human intrigues;(AV)
you keep them safe in your dwelling
from accusing tongues.
Footnotes
- Psalm 31:1 In Hebrew texts 31:1-24 is numbered 31:2-25.
- Psalm 31:10 Or guilt
Psalm 31
King James Version
Psalm 31
King James Version
31 In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust; let me never be ashamed: deliver me in thy righteousness.
2 Bow down thine ear to me; deliver me speedily: be thou my strong rock, for an house of defence to save me.
3 For thou art my rock and my fortress; therefore for thy name's sake lead me, and guide me.
4 Pull me out of the net that they have laid privily for me: for thou art my strength.
5 Into thine hand I commit my spirit: thou hast redeemed me, O Lord God of truth.
6 I have hated them that regard lying vanities: but I trust in the Lord.
7 I will be glad and rejoice in thy mercy: for thou hast considered my trouble; thou hast known my soul in adversities;
8 And hast not shut me up into the hand of the enemy: thou hast set my feet in a large room.
9 Have mercy upon me, O Lord, for I am in trouble: mine eye is consumed with grief, yea, my soul and my belly.
10 For my life is spent with grief, and my years with sighing: my strength faileth because of mine iniquity, and my bones are consumed.
11 I was a reproach among all mine enemies, but especially among my neighbours, and a fear to mine acquaintance: they that did see me without fled from me.
12 I am forgotten as a dead man out of mind: I am like a broken vessel.
13 For I have heard the slander of many: fear was on every side: while they took counsel together against me, they devised to take away my life.
14 But I trusted in thee, O Lord: I said, Thou art my God.
15 My times are in thy hand: deliver me from the hand of mine enemies, and from them that persecute me.
16 Make thy face to shine upon thy servant: save me for thy mercies' sake.
17 Let me not be ashamed, O Lord; for I have called upon thee: let the wicked be ashamed, and let them be silent in the grave.
18 Let the lying lips be put to silence; which speak grievous things proudly and contemptuously against the righteous.
19 Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men!
20 Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence from the pride of man: thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues.
21 Blessed be the Lord: for he hath shewed me his marvellous kindness in a strong city.
22 For I said in my haste, I am cut off from before thine eyes: nevertheless thou heardest the voice of my supplications when I cried unto thee.
23 O love the Lord, all ye his saints: for the Lord preserveth the faithful, and plentifully rewardeth the proud doer.
24 Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord.
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