Psalm 31
In you, O LORD, I take refuge.
IN YOU, LORD, I TAKE REFUGE
For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David.
VERSE 1. In you, LORD, I take refuge. Let me never be disappointed. Deliver me in your righteousness.
VERSE 2. Bow down your ear to me. Deliver me speedily. Be to me a strong rock, a house of defense to save me.
VERSE 3. For you are my rock and my fortress, therefore for your name’s sake lead me and guide me.
VERSE 4. Pluck me out of the net that they have laid secretly for me, for you are my stronghold.
VERSE 5. Into your hand I commend my spirit. You redeem me, LORD, God of truth.
VERSE 6. I hate those who regard lying vanities, but I trust in the LORD.
VERSE 7. I will be glad and rejoice in your loving kindness, for you have seen my affliction. You have known my soul in adversities.
You have known my soul in adversities. The LORD sees when David is in need.
And the LORD God sees when WE are in need.
VERSE 8. You have not shut me up into the hand of the enemy. You have set my feet in a large place.
have not shut me up into the hand of the enemy. The LORD did not leave David locked in the grip of the enemy.
a large place. That is, free and open ground.
VERSE 9. Have mercy on me, LORD, for I am in distress. My eye, my soul, and my body waste away with grief.
VERSE 10. For my life is spent with sorrow, my years with sighing. My strength fails because of my iniquity. My bones are wasted away.
VERSE 11. Because of all my adversaries I have become utterly contemptible to my neighbors, a horror to my acquaintances. Those who saw me on the street fled from me.
VERSE 12. I am forgotten from their hearts like a dead man. I am like broken pottery.
VERSE 13. For I have heard the slander of many, terror on every side, while they conspire together against me, they plot to take away my life.
the slander of many. That is, “the whispers of the crowd” (NAB translation).
they plot to take away my life. Walking with the LORD God does not guarantee a misery-free existence. But we get the love and companionship of the LORD God in the midst of misery.
VERSE 14. But I trust in you, LORD. I said, “You are my God.”
VERSE 15. My times are in your hand. Deliver me from the hand of my enemies, and from those who persecute me.
VERSE 16. Make your face to shine on your servant. Save me in your loving kindness.
VERSE 17. Let me not be disappointed, LORD, for I have called on you. Let the wicked be disappointed. Let them be silent in Sheol.
VERSE 18. Let the lying lips be mute, which speak against the righteous insolently, with pride and contempt.
VERSE 19. Oh how great is your goodness, which you have laid up for those who fear you, which you have worked for those who take refuge in you, before the sons of men!
how great is your goodness. The LORD’s goodness is so great!
which you have laid up. The LORD stores up great blessings. His goodness to us has been stored up, accumulating for a long time.
VERSE 20. In the shelter of your presence you will hide them from the plotting of man. You will keep them secretly in a dwelling away from the strife of tongues.
VERSE 21. Praise be to the LORD, for he has shown me his marvelous loving kindness in a strong city.
he has shown me his marvelous loving kindness. The LORD shows us his preferential love.
in a strong city. He makes us secure.
VERSE 22. As for me, I said in my haste, “I am cut off from before your eyes.” Nevertheless you heard the voice of my petitions when I cried to you.
I said in my haste. Sometimes it can feel as though we are cut off from the LORD. Even then, he never abandons us.
VERSE 23. Oh love the LORD, all you his holy ones! The LORD preserves the faithful, and fully recompenses him who behaves arrogantly.
fully recompenses him who behaves arrogantly. Retribution is the LORD’s domain, not ours. He will repay in full those who have been arrogant and abusive toward us.
VERSE 24. Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who hope in the LORD.
Be strong. Do not be weak. Do not be sickly. Become strong in mind and body.
PSALMS
CHAPTERS: 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 117, 118, 119, 120, 121, 122, 123, 124, 125, 126, 127, 128, 129, 130, 131, 132, 133, 134, 135, 136, 137, 138, 139, 140, 141, 142, 143, 144, 145, 146, 147, 148, 149, 150
Deuterocanonical chapter: 151
RESOURCES: Summary, Outline, Memorize, David’s Fasting
Unless otherwise noted, all Bible quotations on this page are from the World English Bible and the World Messianic Edition. These translations have no copyright restrictions. They are in the Public Domain.