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31 To victory, the psalm of David. Lord, I have hoped in thee, be I not shamed [into] without end; deliver thou me in thy rightfulness. (To victory, the song of David. Lord, I have put my trust in thee, let me never be shamed; save thou me in thy righteousness.)

Bow down thine ear to me; haste thou to deliver me. Be thou to me into God a defender, and into an house of refuge; that thou make me safe. (Bow down thy ear to me; hasten thou to rescue me. God, be my defender, and a house of refuge; so that thou keep me safe/so that thou save me.)

For thou art my strength and my refuge; and for (the sake of) thy name, thou shalt lead me forth, and shalt nourish me.

Thou shalt lead me out of the snare, which they hid to me (which they have hid for me); for thou art my defender.

I betake my spirit into thine hands; Lord God of truth, thou hast again-bought me. (I commit, or I entrust, my spirit into thy hands; Lord God of truth, thou hast redeemed me.)

Thou hatest them that keep vanities superfluously. Forsooth I hoped in the Lord; (Thou hatest them who worship false gods, or useless idols. But I put my trust in the Lord;)

I shall have fully joy, and shall be glad in thy mercy. For thou beheldest my meekness; thou savedest my life from needs. (I shall have full out joy, or rejoice, and shall be glad for thy love. For thou hast beheld my troubles; thou hast saved my life from dis-eases, or distress.)

And thou closedest not me (al)together within the hands of the enemy; thou hast set my feet in a large place. (And thou enclosedest me not in the hands of the enemy; thou hast set me free in a large place.)

Lord, have thou mercy on me, for I am troubled; mine eye is troubled in ire, my soul and my womb also. (Lord, have thou mercy on me, for I am in trouble; my eyes be tired from so much grief, and my soul, and my womb, also be tired.)

10 For why my life failed in sorrow; and my years in wailings. My virtue is made feeble in poverty; and my bones be troubled. (For my life is failing, because of sorrows; and my years, because of wailings. My strength is made feeble, or weak, by poverty; and my bones be diseased.)

11 Over all mine enemies I am made (a) shame, [and] greatly to my neighbours; and dread to my known. They that saw me withoutforth, fled from me; (I am shamed before all my enemies, and especially my neighbours; and I am thought of as someone to be feared by my acquaintances. Those who saw me withoutforth, fled from me;)

12 I am given to forgetting, as a dead man from the heart. I am made as a (for)lorn vessel; (I am forgotten, like a dead man out of mind. I am made like a forlorn vessel;)

13 for I heard despising of many men dwelling in compass. In that thing while they came together against me; they counselled to take my life. (for I have heard the despising of many men who live all around me. And when they came together against me; they plotted to take away my life.)

14 But, Lord, I hoped in thee (But, Lord, I put my trust in thee); I said, Thou art my God;

15 my times be in thine hands. Deliver thou me from the hands of mine enemies; and from them that pursue me. (my life is in thy hands. Rescue thou me from the power of my enemies; and from those who persecute me.)

16 Make thou clear thy face on thy servant; Lord, make thou me safe in thy mercy; (Make thy face to shine upon thy servant; Lord, save thou me in thy love;)

17 be I not shamed, for I inwardly called thee. Unpious men be ashamed, and be they led forth into hell; (let me not be shamed, for I have called upon thee. Let the unpious, or the unrighteous, be ashamed, and let them go down to Sheol, or the land of the dead;)

18 guileful lips be made dumb. That speak wickedness against a just man; in pride, and in mis-using/in pride, and in abusing. (and let deceitful lips be made dumb. Yea, those who speak wickedness against the righteous; in pride, and in mis-using/in pride, and in abusing.)

19 Lord, the multitude of thy sweetness is full great; which thou hast hid to men dreading thee. Thou hast made a perfect thing to them that hope in thee; in the sight of the sons of men. (Lord, the multitude of thy goodness is very great; which thou hast kept safe for those who fear thee/for those who revere thee. Thou hast made a perfect thing for those who put their trust in thee; before the sons of men.)

20 Thou shalt hide them in the private of thy face; from [the] troubling of men (Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence; from all the troubles caused by people). Thou shalt defend them in thy tabernacle; from [the] against-saying of tongues.

21 Blessed be the Lord; for he hath made wonderful his mercy to me in a strengthened city. (Blessed be the Lord; for he hath shown his wonderful love to me, like a city that is strengthened, or fortified.)

22 Forsooth I said in the out-passing of my soul; I am cast out from the face of thine eyes. Therefore thou heardest the voice of my prayer; while I cried to thee. (For I said in the going forth of my soul, I am cast out from before thine eyes. But thou heardest the words of my prayer; when I cried to thee for help.)

23 All ye holy men of the Lord, love him; for the Lord shall seek truth, and he shall yield plenteously to them that do pride. (All ye holy people of the Lord, love him; for the Lord preserveth the faithful, but he shall strongly punish the proud.)

24 All ye that hope in the Lord, do ye manly; and your heart be comforted. (All ye who hope in the Lord, be ye encouraged; and let your hearts be strengthened.)

Psalm 31[a](A)

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

In you, Lord, I have taken refuge;(B)
    let me never be put to shame;
    deliver me in your righteousness.(C)
Turn your ear to me,(D)
    come quickly to my rescue;(E)
be my rock of refuge,(F)
    a strong fortress to save me.
Since you are my rock and my fortress,(G)
    for the sake of your name(H) lead and guide me.
Keep me free from the trap(I) that is set for me,
    for you are my refuge.(J)
Into your hands I commit my spirit;(K)
    deliver me, Lord, my faithful God.(L)

I hate those who cling to worthless idols;(M)
    as for me, I trust in the Lord.(N)
I will be glad and rejoice in your love,
    for you saw my affliction(O)
    and knew the anguish(P) of my soul.
You have not given me into the hands(Q) of the enemy
    but have set my feet in a spacious place.(R)

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.

21 Praise be to the Lord,(AW)
    for he showed me the wonders of his love(AX)
    when I was in a city under siege.(AY)
22 In my alarm(AZ) I said,
    “I am cut off(BA) from your sight!”
Yet you heard my cry(BB) for mercy
    when I called to you for help.

23 Love the Lord, all his faithful people!(BC)
    The Lord preserves those who are true to him,(BD)
    but the proud he pays back(BE) in full.
24 Be strong and take heart,(BF)
    all you who hope in the Lord.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 31:1 In Hebrew texts 31:1-24 is numbered 31:2-25.
  2. Psalm 31:10 Or guilt