Psalm 31

¹I take refuge in you, LORD .

Please never let me be put to shame.

²Listen closely to me!

Deliver me quickly;

³You are definitely my rock and my fortress.

Guide me and lead me for the sake of your good name!

⁴Get me out of this net that’s been set for me

because you are my protective fortress.

⁵I entrust my spirit into your hands;

you, LORD , God of faithfulness—

you have saved me.

⁶I hate those who embrace what is completely worthless.

I myself trust the LORD .

⁷I rejoice and celebrate in your faithful love

because you saw my suffering—

you were intimately acquainted with my deep distress.

⁸You didn’t hand me over to the enemy,

but set my feet in wide-open spaces.

⁹Have mercy on me, LORD , because I’m depressed.

My vision fails because of my grief,

as do my spirit and my body.

¹⁰My life is consumed with sadness;

my years are consumed with groaning.

Strength fails me because of my suffering;

my bones dry up.

¹¹I’m a joke to all my enemies,

still worse to my neighbors.

I scare my friends,

and whoever sees me in the street runs away!

¹²I am forgotten, like I’m dead,

completely out of mind;

I am like a piece of pottery, destroyed.

¹³Yes, I’ve heard all the gossiping,

terror all around;

so many gang up together against me,

¹⁴But me? I trust you, LORD !

I affirm, “You are my God.”

¹⁵My future is in your hands.

Don’t hand me over to my enemies,

to all who are out to get me!

¹⁶Shine your face on your servant;

save me by your faithful love!

¹⁷LORD , don’t let me be put to shame

because I have cried out to you.

Let the wicked be put to shame;

let them be silenced in death’s domain!

¹⁸Let their lying lips be shut up

whenever they speak arrogantly

against the righteous with pride and contempt!

¹⁹How great is the goodness

that you’ve reserved for those who honor you,

that you commit to those who take refuge in you—

²⁰You hide them in the shelter of your wings,[#31.20 Correction; see Ps 61:5; MT in the hiding place of your face .]

safe from human scheming.

You conceal them in a shelter,

safe from accusing tongues.

²¹Bless the LORD ,

because he has wondrously revealed

his faithful love to me

when I was like a city under siege!

²²When I was panicked, I said,

“I’m cut off from your eyes!”

But you heard my request for mercy

when I cried out to you for help.

²³All you who are faithful, love the LORD !

The LORD protects those who are loyal,

²⁴All you who wait for the LORD ,

be strong and let your heart take courage.