Psalm 31
Prayer of Trust and Thanksgiving
1 For the director. A psalm of David.
2 In you, O Lord, I have taken refuge;
let me never be put to shame;
in your righteousness deliver me.
3 Turn your ear to me,
and act quickly to save me.
Be to me a rock of refuge,
a strong fortress to save me.
4 You are truly my rock and my fortress;
for the sake of your name, lead and guide me.
5 Deliver me from the snare that has been set for me,
for you are my refuge.
6 Into your hands I commend my spirit;
you will redeem me, O Lord, God of truth.
7 You hate those who cling to false idols,
but I put my trust in the Lord.
8 I will rejoice and exult in your kindness
because you have witnessed my affliction
and have taken note of my anguish.
9 You have not abandoned me into the power of the enemy;
rather, you have set my feet in the open.
10 Have mercy on me, O Lord,
for I am in trouble.
My weeping is laying waste to my eyes
as well as my soul and my body.
11 My life is consumed with sorrow
and my years with sighing.
My strength ebbs because of my misery,
and my bones are wasting away.
12 I am an object of scorn
to all my enemies,
a loathsome sight to my neighbors,
and an object of dread to my friends.
When people catch sight of me outside,
they quickly turn away.
13 I have passed out of their minds
like someone who has died;
I have become like a broken vessel.
14 I have heard the hissing of many:
“There is terror on every side,”
as they conspire together against me
and plot to end my life.
15 But I place my trust in you, O Lord.
I say, “You are my God.”
16 My life is in your hands;
deliver me from the power of my enemies,
from the clutches of those who pursue me.
17 Let your face shine upon your servant;
save me in your kindness.
18 Do not let me be put to shame, O Lord,
for I have cried out to you.
Let the wicked be put to shame
and lie silent in the netherworld.
19 Let their lying lips be struck dumb,
lips that speak insolently against the righteous
with pride and contempt.
20 How great is your goodness, O Lord,
which you have stored up for those who fear you
and which you bestow on those who take refuge in you,
in the presence of all the people.
21 You hide them in the safety of your presence
from those who conspire against them;
you keep them safe in your shelter,
far away from contentious tongues.
22 Blessed be the Lord,
for he has manifested his wondrous kindness to me
when I was under siege.
23 I had cried out in terror,
“I have been cut off from your sight.”
But you heard my plea
when I cried out to you for assistance.
24 Love the Lord, all his saints.
The Lord protects his loyal servants,
but the arrogant he repays beyond measure.
25 Be strong and courageous in your hearts,
all you who place your hope in the Lord.
Footnotes
- Psalm 31:1
- Psalm 31:1
- Psalm 31:2
- Psalm 31:3
- Psalm 31:4
- Psalm 31:6
- Psalm 31:8
- Psalm 31:10
- Psalm 31:10
- Psalm 31:13
- Psalm 31:14
- Psalm 31:16
- Psalm 31:17
- Psalm 31:18
- Psalm 31:20
- Psalm 31:20
- Psalm 31:22
- Psalm 31:24
