Psalm 31-35

New International Version

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.

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!

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.

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.

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)

²⁸ My tongue will proclaim your righteousness,^(HW)
    your praises all day long.^(HX)