Chapter 31

  To the chief music-maker. A Psalm. Of David.
In you, O Lord, have I put my hope; let me never be shamed; keep me safe in your righteousness.  

  Let 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.  

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

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

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

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

  I 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;  

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

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

  My 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.  

  Because 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.  

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

  False 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.  

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

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

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

  Let 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.  

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

  O 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!  

  You 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.  

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

  And 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.  

  O 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.  

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