Psalm 71:1-24

  • The confidence of old ones

    • Trusting in God since youth (5)

    • “When my strength fails” (9)

    • ‘God has taught me from youth’ (17)

71  In you, O Jehovah, I have taken refuge. May I never be put to shame.+   In your righteousness save me and rescue me. Incline your ear* to me and save me.+   Become for me a rock fortressWhere I can always enter. Give the command to save me,For you are my crag and my stronghold.+   O my God, rescue me from the hand of the wicked,+From the grasp of the unjust oppressor.   For you are my hope, O Sovereign Lord Jehovah;I have trusted in you* since my youth.+   I have depended on you from birth;It was you who took me from my mother’s womb.+ I praise you constantly.   I have become like a miracle to many,But you are my strong refuge.   My mouth is filled with your praise;+All day long I tell about your splendor.   Do not cast me off in my old age;+Do not abandon me when my strength fails.+ 10  My enemies speak against me,And those seeking to take my life* conspire together,+ 11  Saying: “God has abandoned him. Chase after him and seize him, for there is no one to save him.”+ 12  O God, do not remain far away from me. O my God, hurry to help me.+ 13  May those who are resisting me*Be put to shame and perish.+ May those seeking my calamityBe covered with disgrace and humiliation.+ 14  But as for me, I will continue to wait;I will add to your praise. 15  My mouth will recount your righteousness,+All day long your acts of salvation,Though they are too many for me to grasp.*+ 16  I will come and tell about your mighty acts,O Sovereign Lord Jehovah;I will mention your righteousness, yours alone. 17  O God, you have taught me from my youth,+And until now I keep declaring your wonderful works.+ 18  Even when I am old and gray, O God, do not abandon me.+ Let me tell the next generation about your power*And about your mightiness to all those who are to come.+ 19  Your righteousness, O God, reaches to the heights;+You have done great things;O God, who is like you?+ 20  Though you have made me experience much distress and calamity,+Revive me again;Bring me up from the depths* of the earth.+ 21  May you increase my greatnessAnd surround and comfort me. 22  Then I will praise you on a stringed instrumentBecause of your faithfulness, O my God.+ I will sing your praises* with the harp,O Holy One of Israel. 23  My lips will shout joyfully as I sing praises to you,+For you have saved my life.*+ 24  My tongue will speak about* your righteousness all day long,+For those seeking my destruction will be ashamed and disgraced.+

Footnotes

Or “Bend down and listen.”
Or “You are my confidence.”
Or “seeking my soul.”
Or “my soul.”
Or “number.”
Lit., “arm.”
Or “watery deeps.”
Or “make music to you.”
Or “redeemed my soul.”
Or “meditate on.”