Arcing Psalm 31
Psalm 31
David pleads with God to save Him because God is his refuge. We Christians, who have taken refuge in Christ, can also use these petitions.
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Published April 12th, 2021
In Psalm 31, David pleads four times with God for Him to save him (vv. 1-4, 5-14, 15-18, 19-24). In each section of this psalm, David first indicatively states his confidence in God; then, on the basis of these indicatives, he implores God with imperatives.
editing
In Psalm 31, David pleads four times with God for Him to save him (vv. 1-4, 5-14, 15-18, 19-24). In each section of this psalm, David first indicatively states his confidence in God; then, on the basis of these indicatives, he implores God with imperatives.
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Psalms 31:1-25
בְּךָ יְהוָה חָסִיתִי
o In you, O Lord , do I p take refuge;
אַל־אֵבוֹשָׁה לְעוֹלָם
q let me never be put to shame;
בְּצִדְקָתְךָ פַלְּטֵנִי׃
in your r righteousness deliver me!
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הַטֵּה אֵלַי׀ אָזְנְךָ
Incline your ear to me;
מְהֵרָה הַצִּילֵנִי
rescue me speedily!
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הֱיֵה לִי׀ לְצוּר־מָעוֹז לְבֵית מְצוּדוֹת לְהוֹשִׁיעֵנִי׃
Be s a rock of t refuge for me, a strong fortress to save me!
כִּי־סַלְעִי וּמְצוּדָתִי אָתָּה
For you are my rock and my fortress;
וּלְמַעַן שִׁמְךָ תַּנְחֵנִי וּתְנַהֲלֵנִי׃
and for your u name’s sake you lead me and guide me;
תּוֹצִיאֵנִי מֵרֶשֶׁת זוּ טָמְנוּ לִי
you v take me out of w the net they have hidden for me,
כִּי־אַתָּה מָעוּזִּי׃
for you are my x refuge.
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בְּיָדְךָ אַפְקִיד רוּחִי
y Into your hand I commit my spirit;
פָּדִיתָה אוֹתִי יְהוָה אֵל אֱמֶת׃
you have redeemed me, O Lord , z faithful God.
שָׂנֵאתִי הַשֹּׁמְרִים הַבְלֵי־שָׁוְא
I a hate 1 those who pay b regard to worthless c idols,
וַאֲנִי אֶל־יְהוָה בָּטָחְתִּי׃
but I trust in the Lord .
אָגִילָה וְאֶשְׂמְחָה בְּחַסְדֶּךָ
I will rejoice and be glad in your steadfast love,
אֲשֶׁר רָאִיתָ אֶת־עָנְיִי יָדַעְתָּ בְּצָרוֹת נַפְשִׁי׃
because you have seen my affliction; you have d known the distress of my soul,
וְלֹא הִסְגַּרְתַּנִי בְּיַד־אוֹיֵב
and you have not e delivered me into the hand of the enemy;
הֶעֱמַדְתָּ בַמֶּרְחָב רַגְלָי׃
you have set my feet in f a broad place.
חָנֵּנִי יְהוָה כִּי צַר־לִי עָשְׁשָׁה בְכַעַס עֵינִי נַפְשִׁי וּבִטְנִי׃
Be gracious to me, O Lord , for I am g in distress; h my eye is wasted from grief; my soul and my body also.
כִּי כָלוּ בְיָגוֹן חַיַּי וּשְׁנוֹתַי בַּאֲנָחָה כָּשַׁל בַּעֲוֺנִי כֹחִי וַעֲצָמַי עָשֵׁשׁוּ׃
For my life is spent with sorrow, and my years with sighing; my strength fails because of my iniquity, and i my bones waste away.
מִכָּל־צֹרְרַי הָיִיתִי חֶרְפָּה וְלִשֲׁכֵנַי׀ מְאֹד וּפַחַד לִמְיֻדָּעָי רֹאַי בַּחוּץ נָדְדוּ מִמֶּנִּי׃
Because of all my adversaries I have become j a reproach, especially to my k neighbors, and an object of dread to my acquaintances; those who see me in the street l flee from me.
נִשְׁכַּחְתִּי כְּמֵת מִלֵּב הָיִיתִי כִּכְלִי אֹבֵד׃
I have been m forgotten like one who is dead; I have become like n a broken vessel.
כִּי שָׁמַעְתִּי׀ דִּבַּת רַבִּים מָגוֹר מִסָּבִיב בְּהִוָּסְדָם יַחַד עָלַי לָקַחַת נַפְשִׁי זָמָמוּ׃
For I o hear the whispering of many— terror on every side!— p as they scheme together against me, as they plot to take my life.
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וַאֲנִי׀ עָלֶיךָ בָטַחְתִּי יְהוָה אָמַרְתִּי אֱלֹהַי אָתָּה׃
But I q trust in you, O Lord ; I say, “You are my God.”
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בְּיָדְךָ עִתֹּתָי
My r times are in your hand;
הַצִּילֵנִי מִיַּד־אוֹיְבַי וּמֵרֹדְפָי׃
s rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from my persecutors!
הָאִירָה פָנֶיךָ עַל־עַבְדֶּךָ הוֹשִׁיעֵנִי בְחַסְדֶּךָ׃
t Make your face shine on your servant; save me in your steadfast love!
יְהוָה אַל־אֵבוֹשָׁה כִּי קְרָאתִיךָ
O Lord , u let me not be put to shame, for I call upon you;
יֵבֹשׁוּ רְשָׁעִים יִדְּמוּ לִשְׁאוֹל׃
let the wicked be put to shame; let them go v silently to Sheol.
תֵּאָלַמְנָה 1 שִׂפְתֵי שָׁקֶר הַדֹּבְרוֹת עַל־צַדִּיק עָתָק בְּגַאֲוָה וָבוּז׃
Let the lying lips be mute, which w speak x insolently against the righteous in pride and contempt.
מָה רַב־טוּבְךָ אֲשֶׁר־צָפַנְתָּ לִּירֵאֶיךָ פָּעַלְתָּ לַחֹסִים בָּךְ נֶגֶד בְּנֵי אָדָם 1 ׃
Oh, how abundant is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you and worked for those who take refuge in you, y in the sight of the children of mankind!
תַּסְתִּירֵם׀ בְּסֵתֶר פָּנֶיךָ מֵרֻכְסֵי אִישׁ תִּצְפְּנֵם בְּסֻכָּה מֵרִיב לְשֹׁנוֹת׃
In z the cover of your presence you hide them from the plots of men; you a store them in your shelter from the strife of tongues.
בָּרוּךְ יְהוָה
Blessed be the Lord ,
כִּי הִפְלִיא חַסְדּוֹ לִי בְּעִיר מָצוֹר׃
for he has wondrously b shown his steadfast love to me when I was in c a besieged city.
וַאֲנִי׀ אָמַרְתִּי בְחָפְזִי נִגְרַזְתִּי מִנֶּגֶד עֵינֶיךָ אָכֵן שָׁמַעְתָּ קוֹל תַּחֲנוּנַי בְּשַׁוְּעִי אֵלֶיךָ׃
I had said in my d alarm, 1 “I am e cut off from f your sight.” But you heard the voice of my pleas for mercy when I cried to you for help.
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אֶהֱבוּ אֶת־יְהוָה כָּל־חֲסִידָיו
Love the Lord , all you his g saints!
אֱמוּנִים נֹצֵר יְהוָה
The Lord preserves the faithful
וּמְשַׁלֵּם עַל־יֶתֶר עֹשֵׂה גַאֲוָה׃
but abundantly h repays the one who acts in pride.
חִזְקוּ וְיַאֲמֵץ לְבַבְכֶם כָּל־הַמְיַחֲלִים לַיהוָה׃
i Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the Lord !
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