Psalms 31

1To David himself, understanding. Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.

1 In you, O Lord, have I put my hope; let me never be shamed; keep me safe in your righteousness.

1To the Overseer. --A Psalm of David. In Thee, O Jehovah, I have trusted, Let me not be ashamed to the age, In Thy righteousness deliver me.

2Blessed is the man to whom the Lord hath not imputed sin, and in whose spirit there is no guile.

2Let 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.

2Incline unto me Thine ear hastily, deliver me, Be to me for a strong rock, For a house of bulwarks to save me.

3Because I was silent my bones grew old; whilst I cried out all the day long.

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

3For my rock and my bulwark <FI>art<Fi> Thou, For Thy name's sake lead me and tend me.

4For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: I am turned in my anguish, whilst the thorn is fastened.

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

4Bring me out from the net that they hid for me, For Thou <FI>art<Fi> my strength.

5I have acknowledged my sin to thee, and my injustice I have not concealed. I said I will confess against my self my injustice to the Lord: and thou hast forgiven the wickedness of my sin.

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

5Into Thy hand I commit my spirit, Thou hast redeemed me, Jehovah God of truth.

6For this shall every one that is holy pray to thee in a seasonable time. And yet in a flood of many waters, they shall not come nigh unto him.

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

6I have hated the observers of lying vanities, And I toward Jehovah have been confident.

7Thou art my refuge from the trouble which hath encompassed me: my joy, deliver me from them that surround me.

7I 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;

7I rejoice, and am glad in Thy kindness, In that Thou hast seen mine affliction, Thou hast known in adversities my soul.

8I will give thee understanding, and I will instruct thee in this way, in which thou shalt go: I will fix my eyes upon thee.

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

8And Thou hast not shut me up, Into the hand of an enemy, Thou hast caused my feet to stand in a broad place.

9Do not become like the horse and the mule, who have no understanding. With bit and bridle bind fast their jaws, who come not near unto thee.

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

9Favour me, O Jehovah, for distress <FI>is<Fi> to me, Mine eye, my soul, and my body Have become old by provocation.

10Many are the scourges of the sinner, but mercy shall encompass him that hopeth in the Lord.

10My 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.

10For my life hath been consumed in sorrow And my years in sighing. Feeble because of mine iniquity hath been my strength, And my bones have become old.

11Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, ye just, and glory, all ye right of heart.

11Because 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.

11Among all mine adversaries I have been a reproach, And to my neighbours exceedingly, And a fear to mine acquaintances, Those seeing me without--fled from me.

12(not in this translation)

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

12I have been forgotten as dead out of mind, I have been as a perishing vessel.

13(not in this translation)

13False 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.

13For I have heard an evil account of many, Fear <FI>is<Fi> round about. In their being united against me, To take my life they have devised,

14(not in this translation)

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

14And I on Thee--I have trusted, O Jehovah, I have said, `Thou <FI>art<Fi> my God.'

15(not in this translation)

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

15In Thy hand <FI>are<Fi> my times, Deliver me from the hand of my enemies, And from my pursuers.

16(not in this translation)

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

16Cause Thy face to shine on Thy servant, Save me in Thy kindness.

17(not in this translation)

17Let 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.

17O Jehovah, let me not be ashamed, For I have called Thee, let the wicked be ashamed, Let them become silent to Sheol.

18(not in this translation)

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

18Let lips of falsehood become dumb, That are speaking against the righteous, Ancient sayings, in pride and contempt.

19(not in this translation)

19O 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!

19How abundant is Thy goodness, That Thou hast laid up for those fearing Thee,

20(not in this translation)

20You 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.

20Thou hast wrought for those trusting in Thee, Before sons of men. Thou hidest them in the secret place of Thy presence, From artifices of man, Thou concealest them in a tabernacle, From the strife of tongues.

21(not in this translation)

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

21Blessed <FI>is<Fi> Jehovah, For He hath made marvellous His kindness To me in a city of bulwarks.

22(not in this translation)

22And 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.

22And I--I have said in my haste, `I have been cut off from before Thine eyes,' But Thou hast heard the voice of my supplications, In my crying unto Thee.

23(not in this translation)

23O 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.

23Love Jehovah, all ye His saints, Jehovah is keeping the faithful, And recompensing abundantly a proud doer.

24(not in this translation)

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

24Be strong, and He strengtheneth your heart, All ye who are waiting for Jehovah!