Psalm 31
First, the complaint
Don’t let me regret trusting you
A psalm of David. For the music leader. [1]
1LORD, I’m trusting you alone to protect me.Never let me regret it.
Out of the goodness of your heart, keep me safe.
2Please listen when I call,
And rush to my rescue.
Give me your rock-solid strength.
Save me, like city walls surrounding me.
3You are my rock and fortress.
You’ll guide me through this
Because that’s who you are,
Good to your name.
4When they trap me,
You’ll set me free.
You’ve got my back.
5I’m putting my life in your hands.
Save me, LORD, my dependable God.
6I hate it when people worship idols.
I put my faith in the LORD.
7I’m going to celebrate your kindness.
You saw me suffering.
You knew how much it hurt me.
8You didn’t let my enemies catch me.
You planted my feet on safe soil.
9LORD, I need some kindness here.
I’m in big trouble.
I’ve cried my eyes red and dry.
I’m weary to the bone
And crushed in the spirit.
I’ve had troubles in life
10I’ve known sorrow all my life.I’ve moaned my way through the years.
My strength has collapsed,
Weakened by my sin.
My body is run down and used up.
11I have so many enemies now
That everybody seems to hate me.
My neighbors are the worst.
Everyone who knows me dreads me.
If they see me coming,
They get going.
12I’m a shattered pot, a broken man.
I’m as gone and forgotten as a dead man.
13I’ve heard my share of insults.
I’m terrorized by people on all sides.
They’re ganging up on me,
And working up strategies to kill me.
14But here’s the thing.
I trust you, LORD.
I remind myself, “You are my God.”
Shine some kindness on me
15You hold the days of my lifeIn the palm of your hand.
Save me from my enemies.
They hunt me like a savage beast.
16Shine some kindness on me.
Save me because kindness is who you are.
17LORD, don’t let me be the one disgraced.
Let those rotten human beings be disgraced, instead.
Shut them up for good,
Silent in the grave. [2]
18Shut them up, those lying lips.
They spit insults at good people.
Then they brag about it.
19From your vast supply of goodness,
You bless people who respect you,
And you do great things for those who trust you.
Everyone can see what you’re doing.
20You secure your people
In the safety of your presence.
You protect them in your home,
Where hateful words can’t hurt them.
21I’m so thankful to the LORD
For the wonderful kindness he showed me
When my city was surrounded and attacked.
22Terrified, I thought, “I’ve been chased so far away
That God can’t see me anymore.”
Yet you heard my prayers
When I cried out for help.
23So, I say to good people,
Go ahead and love the LORD.
He protects you when you trust him.
As for the proud and arrogant,
He’ll make sure they get what they deserve.
24Be strong and fill your heart with courage
When your hope depends on the LORD.
Footnotes
The subtitle wasn’t part of the original psalm. And the possible byline “of David,” isn’t necessarily a byline. The vague phrase could mean the song was written by David, about David, or was inspired by David. Almost half of the psalms are attributed to David in this way, 73 of 150. Ancient Jewish history tells of David playing a lyre and writing songs. For one, he wrote a song of mourning at the battlefield death of King Saul and his sons: “How have the mighty fallen!” (2 Samuel 1:19-27 New American Standard Bible). An ancient Jewish scroll from about the time of Jesus, discovered among the famous Dead Sea Scrolls, reports that David wrote 3,600 songs.
Literally, Sheol, a word Old Testament writers used to describe the place of the dead. It is a kind of underworld where the dead are cut off from the living—and from God—and there is no coming back.
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