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Psalm 31-35
American Standard Version
Psalm 31-35
American Standard Version
A psalm of complaint and of praise.
For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.
31 In thee, O Jehovah, do I take refuge;
Let me never be put to shame:
Deliver me in thy righteousness.
2 Bow down thine ear unto me; deliver me speedily:
Be thou to me a strong rock,
A house of [a]defence to save me.
3 For thou art my rock and my fortress;
Therefore for thy name’s sake lead me and guide me.
4 Pluck me out of the net that they have laid privily for me;
For thou art my stronghold.
5 Into thy hand I commend my spirit:
Thou hast redeemed me, O Jehovah, thou God of truth.
6 I hate them that regard lying vanities;
But I trust in Jehovah.
7 I will be glad and rejoice in thy lovingkindness;
For thou hast seen my affliction:
Thou hast known [b]my soul in adversities;
8 And thou hast not shut me up into the hand of the enemy;
Thou hast set my feet in a large place.
9 Have mercy upon me, O Jehovah, for I am in distress:
Mine eye wasteth away with grief, yea, my soul and my body.
10 For my life is spent with sorrow,
And my years with sighing:
My strength faileth because of mine iniquity,
And my bones are wasted away.
11 Because of all mine adversaries I am become a reproach,
Yea, unto my neighbors exceedingly,
And a fear to mine acquaintance:
They that did see me without fled from me.
12 I am forgotten as a dead man out of mind:
I am like a broken vessel.
13 For I have heard the defaming of many,
Terror on every side:
While they took counsel together against me,
They devised to take away my life.
14 But I trusted in thee, O Jehovah:
I said, Thou art my God.
15 My times are in thy hand:
Deliver me from the hand of mine enemies, and from them that persecute me.
16 Make thy face to shine upon thy servant:
Save me in thy lovingkindness.
17 Let me not be put to shame, O Jehovah; for I have called upon thee:
Let the wicked be put to shame, let them be silent in Sheol.
18 Let the lying lips be dumb,
Which speak against the righteous insolently,
With pride and contempt.
19 Oh how great is thy goodness,
Which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee,
Which thou hast wrought for them that take refuge in thee,
Before the sons of men!
20 In the covert of thy presence wilt thou hide them from the plottings of man:
Thou wilt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues.
21 Blessed be Jehovah;
For he hath showed me his marvellous lovingkindness in a strong city.
22 As for me, I said in my [c]haste,
I am cut off from before thine eyes:
Nevertheless thou heardest the voice of my supplications,
When I cried unto thee.
23 Oh love Jehovah, all ye his saints:
Jehovah preserveth [d]the faithful,
And plentifully rewardeth him that dealeth proudly.
24 Be strong, and let your heart take courage,
All ye that [e]hope in Jehovah.
Blessedness of forgiveness and of trust in God.
A Psalm of David. Maschil.
32 Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven,
Whose sin is covered.
2 Blessed is the man unto whom Jehovah imputeth not iniquity,
And in whose spirit there is no guile.
3 When I kept silence, my bones wasted away
Through my [f]groaning all the day long.
4 For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me:
My moisture was changed [g]as with the drought of summer. Selah
5 I acknowledged my sin unto thee,
And mine iniquity did I not hide:
I said, I will confess my transgressions unto Jehovah;
And thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah
6 For this let every one that is godly pray unto thee [h]in a time when thou mayest be found:
Surely when the great waters overflow they shall not reach unto him.
7 Thou art my hiding-place; thou wilt preserve me from trouble;
Thou wilt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah
8 I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go:
I will counsel thee with mine eye upon thee.
9 Be ye not as the horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding;
Whose trappings must be bit and bridle to hold them in,
[i]Else they will not come near unto thee.
10 Many sorrows shall be to the wicked;
But he that trusteth in Jehovah, lovingkindness shall compass him about.
11 Be glad in Jehovah, and rejoice, ye righteous;
And shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart.
Praise to the Creator and Preserver.
33 Rejoice in Jehovah, O ye righteous:
Praise is comely for the upright.
2 Give thanks unto Jehovah with the harp:
Sing praises unto him with the psaltery of ten strings.
3 Sing unto him a new song;
Play skilfully with a loud noise.
4 For the word of Jehovah is right;
And all his work is done in faithfulness.
5 He loveth righteousness and justice:
The earth is full of the lovingkindness of Jehovah.
6 By the word of Jehovah were the heavens made,
And all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.
7 He gathereth the waters of the sea together as a heap:
He layeth up the deeps in store-houses.
8 Let all the earth fear Jehovah:
Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him.
9 For he spake, and it was done;
He commanded, and it stood fast.
10 Jehovah bringeth the counsel of the nations to nought;
He maketh the thoughts of the peoples to be of no effect.
11 The counsel of Jehovah standeth fast for ever,
The thoughts of his heart to all generations.
12 Blessed is the nation whose God is Jehovah,
The people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance.
13 Jehovah looketh from heaven;
He beholdeth all the sons of men;
14 From the place of his habitation he looketh forth
Upon all the inhabitants of the earth,
15 He that fashioneth the hearts of them all,
That considereth all their works.
16 There is no king saved by [j]the multitude of a host:
A mighty man is not delivered by great strength.
17 A horse is a vain thing for safety;
Neither doth he deliver any by his great power.
18 Behold, the eye of Jehovah is upon them that fear him,
Upon them that [k]hope in his lovingkindness;
19 To deliver their soul from death,
And to keep them alive in famine.
20 Our soul hath waited for Jehovah:
He is our help and our shield.
21 For our heart shall rejoice in him,
Because we have trusted in his holy name.
22 Let thy lovingkindness, O Jehovah, be upon us,
According as we [l]have hoped in thee.
Jehovah a provider and deliverer.
A Psalm of David; [m]when he [n]changed his behavior before Abimelech, who drove him away, and he departed.
34 I will bless Jehovah at all times:
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
2 My soul shall make her boast in Jehovah:
The meek shall hear thereof, and be glad.
3 Oh magnify Jehovah with me,
And let us exalt his name together.
4 I sought Jehovah, and he answered me,
And delivered me from all my fears.
5 They looked unto him, and were radiant;
And their faces shall never be confounded.
6 This poor man cried, and Jehovah heard him,
And saved him out of all his troubles.
7 The angel of Jehovah encampeth round about them that fear him,
And delivereth them.
8 Oh taste and see that Jehovah is good:
Blessed is the man that taketh refuge in him.
9 Oh fear Jehovah, ye his saints;
For there is no want to them that fear him.
10 The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger;
But they that seek Jehovah shall not want any good thing.
11 Come, ye children, hearken unto me:
I will teach you the fear of Jehovah.
12 What man is he that desireth life,
And loveth many days, that he may see good?
13 Keep thy tongue from evil,
And thy lips from speaking guile.
14 Depart from evil, and do good;
Seek peace, and pursue it.
15 The eyes of Jehovah are toward the righteous,
And his ears are open unto their cry.
16 The face of Jehovah is against them that do evil,
To cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.
17 The righteous cried, and Jehovah heard,
And delivered them out of all their troubles.
18 Jehovah is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart,
And saveth such as are of a contrite spirit.
19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous;
But Jehovah delivereth him out of them all.
20 He keepeth all his bones:
Not one of them is broken.
21 Evil shall slay the wicked;
And they that hate the righteous shall be [o]condemned.
22 Jehovah redeemeth the soul of his servants;
And none of them that take refuge in him shall be condemned.
Prayer for rescue from enemies.
A Psalm of David.
35 Strive thou, O Jehovah, with them that strive with me:
Fight thou against them that fight against me.
2 Take hold of shield and buckler,
And stand up for my help.
3 Draw out also the spear, [p]and stop the way against them that pursue me:
Say unto my soul, I am thy salvation.
4 Let them be put to shame and brought to dishonor that seek after my soul:
Let them be turned back and confounded that devise my hurt.
5 Let them be as chaff before the wind,
And the angel of Jehovah driving them on.
6 Let their way be [q]dark and slippery,
And the angel of Jehovah pursuing them.
7 For without cause have they hid for me [r]their net in a pit;
Without cause have they digged a pit for my soul.
8 Let destruction come upon him unawares;
And let his net that he hath hid catch himself:
[s]With destruction let him fall therein.
9 And my soul shall be joyful in Jehovah:
It shall rejoice in his salvation.
10 All my bones shall say, Jehovah, who is like unto thee,
Who deliverest the poor from him that is too strong for him,
Yea, the poor and the needy from him that robbeth him?
11 [t]Unrighteous witnesses rise up;
They ask me of things that I know not.
12 They reward me evil for good,
To the bereaving of my soul.
13 But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth:
I afflicted my soul with fasting;
And my prayer [u]returned into mine own bosom.
14 I behaved myself as though it had been my friend or my brother:
I bowed down mourning, as one that bewaileth his mother.
15 But in [v]mine adversity they rejoiced, and gathered themselves together:
The [w]abjects gathered themselves together against me, and [x]I knew it not;
They did tear me, and ceased not:
16 [y]Like the profane mockers in feasts,
They gnashed upon me with their teeth.
17 Lord, how long wilt thou look on?
Rescue my soul from their destructions,
My [z]darling from the lions.
18 I will give thee thanks in the great assembly:
I will praise thee among [aa]much people.
19 Let not them that are mine enemies [ab]wrongfully rejoice over me;
Neither let them wink with the eye that hate me without a cause.
20 For they speak not peace;
But they devise deceitful words against them that are quiet in the land.
21 Yea, they opened their mouth wide against me;
They said, Aha, aha, our eye hath seen it.
22 Thou hast seen it, O Jehovah; keep not silence:
O Lord, be not far from me.
23 Stir up thyself, and awake to the justice due unto me,
Even unto my cause, my God and my Lord.
24 Judge me, O Jehovah my God, according to thy righteousness;
And let them not rejoice over me.
25 Let them not say in their heart, [ac]Aha, so would we have it:
Let them not say, We have swallowed him up.
26 Let them be put to shame and confounded together that rejoice at my hurt:
Let them be clothed with shame and dishonor that magnify themselves against me.
27 Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that [ad]favor my righteous cause:
Yea, let them say continually, Jehovah be magnified,
Who hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.
28 And my tongue shall talk of thy righteousness
And of thy praise all the day long.
Footnotes
- Psalm 31:2 Hebrew fortresses.
- Psalm 31:7 Or, the adversities of my soul
- Psalm 31:22 Or, alarm
- Psalm 31:23 Or, faithfulness
- Psalm 31:24 Or, wait for
- Psalm 32:3 Hebrew roaring.
- Psalm 32:4 Or, into the
- Psalm 32:6 Or, in the time of finding out sin.
- Psalm 32:9 Or, That they come not near
- Psalm 33:16 Or, a great power
- Psalm 33:18 Or, wait for
- Psalm 33:22 Or, wait for
- Psalm 34:1 See 1 Sam. 21:10–15.
- Psalm 34:1 Or, feigned madness
- Psalm 34:21 Or, held guilty
- Psalm 35:3 Or, and the battle axe against etc.
- Psalm 35:6 Hebrew darkness and slippery places.
- Psalm 35:7 Or, the pit of their net
- Psalm 35:8 Or, Into that very destruction let him fall
- Psalm 35:11 Or, Malicious. See Ex. 23:1.
- Psalm 35:13 Or, shall return
- Psalm 35:15 Hebrew my limping.
- Psalm 35:15 Or, smiters
- Psalm 35:15 Or, those whom I knew not
- Psalm 35:16 Or, Among
- Psalm 35:17 Or, dear life Hebrew only one.
- Psalm 35:18 Or, a mighty people
- Psalm 35:19 Hebrew falsely.
- Psalm 35:25 Hebrew Aha, our desire.
- Psalm 35:27 Hebrew have pleasure in my righteousness.
Psalm 31-35
New International Version
Psalm 31-35
New International Version
Psalm 31[a](A)
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
1 In you, Lord, I have taken refuge;(B)
let me never be put to shame;
deliver me in your righteousness.(C)
2 Turn your ear to me,(D)
come quickly to my rescue;(E)
be my rock of refuge,(F)
a strong fortress to save me.
3 Since you are my rock and my fortress,(G)
for the sake of your name(H) lead and guide me.
4 Keep me free from the trap(I) that is set for me,
for you are my refuge.(J)
5 Into your hands I commit my spirit;(K)
deliver me, Lord, my faithful God.(L)
6 I hate those who cling to worthless idols;(M)
as for me, I trust in the Lord.(N)
7 I will be glad and rejoice in your love,
for you saw my affliction(O)
and knew the anguish(P) of my soul.
8 You have not given me into the hands(Q) of the enemy
but have set my feet in a spacious place.(R)
9 Be merciful to me, Lord, for I am in distress;(S)
my eyes grow weak with sorrow,(T)
my soul and body(U) with grief.
10 My life is consumed by anguish(V)
and my years by groaning;(W)
my strength fails(X) because of my affliction,[b](Y)
and my bones grow weak.(Z)
11 Because of all my enemies,(AA)
I am the utter contempt(AB) of my neighbors(AC)
and an object of dread to my closest friends—
those who see me on the street flee from me.
12 I am forgotten as though I were dead;(AD)
I have become like broken pottery.
13 For I hear many whispering,(AE)
“Terror on every side!”(AF)
They conspire against me(AG)
and plot to take my life.(AH)
14 But I trust(AI) in you, Lord;
I say, “You are my God.”
15 My times(AJ) are in your hands;
deliver me from the hands of my enemies,
from those who pursue me.
16 Let your face shine(AK) on your servant;
save me in your unfailing love.(AL)
17 Let me not be put to shame,(AM) Lord,
for I have cried out to you;
but let the wicked be put to shame
and be silent(AN) in the realm of the dead.
18 Let their lying lips(AO) be silenced,
for with pride and contempt
they speak arrogantly(AP) against the righteous.
19 How abundant are the good things(AQ)
that you have stored up for those who fear you,
that you bestow in the sight of all,(AR)
on those who take refuge(AS) in you.
20 In the shelter(AT) of your presence you hide(AU) them
from all human intrigues;(AV)
you keep them safe in your dwelling
from accusing tongues.
21 Praise be to the Lord,(AW)
for he showed me the wonders of his love(AX)
when I was in a city under siege.(AY)
22 In my alarm(AZ) I said,
“I am cut off(BA) from your sight!”
Yet you heard my cry(BB) for mercy
when I called to you for help.
23 Love the Lord, all his faithful people!(BC)
The Lord preserves those who are true to him,(BD)
but the proud he pays back(BE) in full.
24 Be strong and take heart,(BF)
all you who hope in the Lord.
Psalm 32
Of David. A maskil.[c]
1 Blessed is the one
whose transgressions are forgiven,
whose sins are covered.(BG)
2 Blessed is the one
whose sin the Lord does not count against them(BH)
and in whose spirit is no deceit.(BI)
3 When I kept silent,(BJ)
my bones wasted away(BK)
through my groaning(BL) all day long.
4 For day and night
your hand was heavy(BM) on me;
my strength was sapped(BN)
as in the heat of summer.[d]
5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you
and did not cover up my iniquity.(BO)
I said, “I will confess(BP)
my transgressions(BQ) to the Lord.”
And you forgave
the guilt of my sin.(BR)
6 Therefore let all the faithful pray to you
while you may be found;(BS)
surely the rising(BT) of the mighty waters(BU)
will not reach them.(BV)
7 You are my hiding place;(BW)
you will protect me from trouble(BX)
and surround me with songs of deliverance.(BY)
8 I will instruct(BZ) you and teach you(CA) in the way you should go;
I will counsel you with my loving eye on(CB) you.
9 Do not be like the horse or the mule,
which have no understanding
but must be controlled by bit and bridle(CC)
or they will not come to you.
10 Many are the woes of the wicked,(CD)
but the Lord’s unfailing love
surrounds the one who trusts(CE) in him.
11 Rejoice in the Lord(CF) and be glad, you righteous;
sing, all you who are upright in heart!
Psalm 33
1 Sing joyfully(CG) to the Lord, you righteous;
it is fitting(CH) for the upright(CI) to praise him.
2 Praise the Lord with the harp;(CJ)
make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre.(CK)
3 Sing to him a new song;(CL)
play skillfully, and shout for joy.(CM)
4 For the word of the Lord is right(CN) and true;(CO)
he is faithful(CP) in all he does.
5 The Lord loves righteousness and justice;(CQ)
the earth is full of his unfailing love.(CR)
6 By the word(CS) of the Lord the heavens were made,(CT)
their starry host(CU) by the breath of his mouth.
7 He gathers the waters(CV) of the sea into jars[e];(CW)
he puts the deep into storehouses.
8 Let all the earth fear the Lord;(CX)
let all the people of the world(CY) revere him.(CZ)
9 For he spoke, and it came to be;
he commanded,(DA) and it stood firm.
10 The Lord foils(DB) the plans(DC) of the nations;(DD)
he thwarts the purposes of the peoples.
11 But the plans of the Lord stand firm(DE) forever,
the purposes(DF) of his heart through all generations.
12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,(DG)
the people he chose(DH) for his inheritance.(DI)
13 From heaven the Lord looks down(DJ)
and sees all mankind;(DK)
14 from his dwelling place(DL) he watches
all who live on earth—
15 he who forms(DM) the hearts of all,
who considers everything they do.(DN)
16 No king is saved by the size of his army;(DO)
no warrior escapes by his great strength.
17 A horse(DP) is a vain hope for deliverance;
despite all its great strength it cannot save.
18 But the eyes(DQ) of the Lord are on those who fear him,
on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,(DR)
19 to deliver them from death(DS)
and keep them alive in famine.(DT)
20 We wait(DU) in hope for the Lord;
he is our help and our shield.
21 In him our hearts rejoice,(DV)
for we trust in his holy name.(DW)
22 May your unfailing love(DX) be with us, Lord,
even as we put our hope in you.
Psalm 34[f][g]
Of David. When he pretended to be insane(DY) before Abimelek, who drove him away, and he left.
1 I will extol the Lord at all times;(DZ)
his praise will always be on my lips.
2 I will glory(EA) in the Lord;
let the afflicted hear and rejoice.(EB)
3 Glorify the Lord(EC) with me;
let us exalt(ED) his name together.
4 I sought the Lord,(EE) and he answered me;
he delivered(EF) me from all my fears.
5 Those who look to him are radiant;(EG)
their faces are never covered with shame.(EH)
6 This poor man called, and the Lord heard him;
he saved him out of all his troubles.(EI)
7 The angel of the Lord(EJ) encamps around those who fear him,
and he delivers(EK) them.
8 Taste and see that the Lord is good;(EL)
blessed is the one who takes refuge(EM) in him.
9 Fear the Lord,(EN) you his holy people,
for those who fear him lack nothing.(EO)
10 The lions may grow weak and hungry,
but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.(EP)
11 Come, my children, listen(EQ) to me;
I will teach you(ER) the fear of the Lord.(ES)
12 Whoever of you loves life(ET)
and desires to see many good days,
13 keep your tongue(EU) from evil
and your lips from telling lies.(EV)
14 Turn from evil and do good;(EW)
seek peace(EX) and pursue it.
15 The eyes of the Lord(EY) are on the righteous,(EZ)
and his ears are attentive(FA) to their cry;
16 but the face of the Lord is against(FB) those who do evil,(FC)
to blot out their name(FD) from the earth.
17 The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears(FE) them;
he delivers them from all their troubles.
18 The Lord is close(FF) to the brokenhearted(FG)
and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
19 The righteous person may have many troubles,(FH)
but the Lord delivers him from them all;(FI)
20 he protects all his bones,
not one of them will be broken.(FJ)
21 Evil will slay the wicked;(FK)
the foes of the righteous will be condemned.
22 The Lord will rescue(FL) his servants;
no one who takes refuge(FM) in him will be condemned.
Psalm 35
Of David.
1 Contend,(FN) Lord, with those who contend with me;
fight(FO) against those who fight against me.
2 Take up shield(FP) and armor;
arise(FQ) and come to my aid.(FR)
3 Brandish spear(FS) and javelin[h](FT)
against those who pursue me.
Say to me,
“I am your salvation.(FU)”
4 May those who seek my life(FV)
be disgraced(FW) and put to shame;(FX)
may those who plot my ruin
be turned back(FY) in dismay.
5 May they be like chaff(FZ) before the wind,
with the angel of the Lord(GA) driving them away;
6 may their path be dark and slippery,
with the angel of the Lord pursuing them.
7 Since they hid their net(GB) for me without cause(GC)
and without cause dug a pit(GD) for me,
8 may ruin overtake them by surprise—(GE)
may the net they hid entangle them,
may they fall into the pit,(GF) to their ruin.
9 Then my soul will rejoice(GG) in the Lord
and delight in his salvation.(GH)
10 My whole being will exclaim,
“Who is like you,(GI) Lord?
You rescue the poor from those too strong(GJ) for them,
the poor and needy(GK) from those who rob them.”
11 Ruthless witnesses(GL) come forward;
they question me on things I know nothing about.
12 They repay me evil for good(GM)
and leave me like one bereaved.
13 Yet when they were ill, I put on sackcloth(GN)
and humbled myself with fasting.(GO)
When my prayers returned to me unanswered,
14 I went about mourning(GP)
as though for my friend or brother.
I bowed my head in grief
as though weeping for my mother.
15 But when I stumbled, they gathered in glee;(GQ)
assailants gathered against me without my knowledge.
They slandered(GR) me without ceasing.
16 Like the ungodly they maliciously mocked;[i](GS)
they gnashed their teeth(GT) at me.
17 How long,(GU) Lord, will you look on?
Rescue me from their ravages,
my precious life(GV) from these lions.(GW)
18 I will give you thanks in the great assembly;(GX)
among the throngs(GY) I will praise you.(GZ)
19 Do not let those gloat over me
who are my enemies(HA) without cause;
do not let those who hate me without reason(HB)
maliciously wink the eye.(HC)
20 They do not speak peaceably,
but devise false accusations(HD)
against those who live quietly in the land.
21 They sneer(HE) at me and say, “Aha! Aha!(HF)
With our own eyes we have seen it.”
22 Lord, you have seen(HG) this; do not be silent.
Do not be far(HH) from me, Lord.
23 Awake,(HI) and rise(HJ) to my defense!
Contend(HK) for me, my God and Lord.
24 Vindicate me in your righteousness, Lord my God;
do not let them gloat(HL) over me.
25 Do not let them think, “Aha,(HM) just what we wanted!”
or say, “We have swallowed him up.”(HN)
26 May all who gloat(HO) over my distress(HP)
be put to shame(HQ) and confusion;
may all who exalt themselves over me(HR)
be clothed with shame and disgrace.
27 May those who delight in my vindication(HS)
shout for joy(HT) and gladness;
may they always say, “The Lord be exalted,
who delights(HU) in the well-being of his servant.”(HV)
Footnotes
- Psalm 31:1 In Hebrew texts 31:1-24 is numbered 31:2-25.
- Psalm 31:10 Or guilt
- Psalm 32:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
- Psalm 32:4 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verses 5 and 7.
- Psalm 33:7 Or sea as into a heap
- Psalm 34:1 This psalm is an acrostic poem, the verses of which begin with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.
- Psalm 34:1 In Hebrew texts 34:1-22 is numbered 34:2-23.
- Psalm 35:3 Or and block the way
- Psalm 35:16 Septuagint; Hebrew may mean Like an ungodly circle of mockers,
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