The Lord a Fortress in Adversity

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

31 In You, O Lord, I put my trust;Let me never be ashamed;Deliver me in Your righteousness.² Bow down Your ear to me,Deliver me speedily;Be my rock of refuge,A fortress of defense to save me.

³ For You are my rock and my fortress;Therefore, for Your name’s sake,Lead me and guide me.⁴ Pull me out of the net which they have secretly laid for me,For You are my strength.⁵ Into Your hand I commit my spirit;You have redeemed me, O Lord God of truth.

⁶ I have hated those who regard useless idols;But I trust in the Lord.⁷ I will be glad and rejoice in Your mercy,For You have considered my trouble;You have known my soul in adversities,⁸ And have not shut me up into the hand of the enemy;You have set my feet in a wide place.

⁹ Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am in trouble;My eye wastes away with grief,Yes, my soul and my body!¹⁰ For my life is spent with grief,And my years with sighing;My strength fails because of my iniquity,And my bones waste away.¹¹ I am a reproach among all my enemies,But especially among my neighbors,And am repulsive to my acquaintances;Those who see me outside flee from me.¹² I am forgotten like a dead man, out of mind;I am like a broken vessel.¹³ For I hear the slander of many;Fear is on every side;While they take counsel together against me,They scheme to take away my life.

¹⁴ But as for me, I trust in You, O Lord;I say, “You are my God.”¹⁵ My times are in Your hand;Deliver me from the hand of my enemies,And from those who persecute me.¹⁶ Make Your face shine upon Your servant;Save me for Your mercies’ sake.¹⁷ Do not let me be ashamed, O Lord, for I have called upon You;Let the wicked be ashamed;Let them be silent in the grave.¹⁸ Let the lying lips be put to silence,Which speak insolent things proudly and contemptuously against the righteous.

¹⁹ Oh, how great is Your goodness,Which You have laid up for those who fear You,Which You have prepared for those who trust in YouIn the presence of the sons of men!²⁰ You shall hide them in the secret place of Your presenceFrom the plots of man;You shall keep them secretly in a pavilionFrom the strife of tongues.

²¹ Blessed be the Lord,For He has shown me His marvelous kindness in a strong city!²² For I said in my haste,“I am cut off from before Your eyes”;Nevertheless You heard the voice of my supplicationsWhen I cried out to You.

²³ Oh, love the Lord, all you His saints!For the Lord preserves the faithful,And fully repays the proud person.²⁴ Be of good courage,And He shall strengthen your heart,All you who hope in the Lord.