Logos Bible Study

Psalm 31:9–16

The NET BibleOther versions

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31:9Have mercy on me, for I am in distress!

My eyes grow dim14 from suffering.15

I have lost my strength.16

31:10For my life nears its end in pain;

my years draw to a close as I groan.17

My strength fails me because of18 my sin,

and my bones become brittle.19

31:11Because of all my enemies, people disdain me;20

my neighbors are appalled by my suffering21—

those who know me are horrified by my condition;22

those who see me in the street run away from me.

31:12I am forgotten, like a dead man no one thinks about;23

I am regarded as worthless, like a broken jar.24

31:13For I hear what so many are saying,25

the terrifying news that comes from every direction.26

When they plot together against me,

they figure out how they can take my life.

31:14But I trust in you, O Lord!

I declare, “You are my God!”

31:15You determine my destiny!27

Rescue me from the power of my enemies and those who chase me.

31:16Smile28 on your servant!

Deliver me because of your faithfulness!

Read in Logos
Psalm 31:13–14: For I hear the whispering of many—terror on every side!—as they scheme together against me, as they plot to take my life. But I trust in you, O LORD; I say, “You are my God.”

Footnotes

  1. 14 Or perhaps, “are swollen.”
  2. 15 Cf. Ps 6:7, which has a similar line.
  3. 16 Heb “my breath and my stomach [grow weak].” Apparently the verb in the previous line (“grow dim, be weakened”) is to be understood here. The Hebrew term נפשׁ can mean “life,” or, more specifically, “throat, breath.” The psalmist seems to be lamenting that his breathing is impaired because of the physical and emotional suffering he is forced to endure.
  4. 17 Heb “and my years in groaning.”
  5. 18 Heb “stumbles in.”
  6. 19 Heb “grow weak.”
  7. 20 Heb “because of all my enemies I am a reproach.”
  8. 21 Heb “and to my neighbors, exceedingly.” If the is retained, then these words probably go with what precedes. However the syntactical awkwardness of the text suggests it is textually corrupt. P. C. Craigie (Psalms 1–50 [], ) suggests that the initial mem (ם) on מְאֹד (me’od, “exceedingly”) be understood as an enclitic mem (ם) which was originally suffixed to the preceding form and then later misinterpreted. The resulting form אֵד (’ed) can then be taken as a defectively written form of אֵיד (’ed, “calamity”). If one follows this emendation, then the text reads literally, “and to my neighbors [I am one who experiences] calamity.” The noun פַחַד (fakhad, “[object of] horror”) occurs in the next line; אֵיד and פַחַד appear in parallelism elsewhere (see Prov 1:26–27).
  9. 22 Heb “and [an object of] horror to those known by me.”
  10. 23 Heb “I am forgotten, like a dead man, from [the] heart.” The “heart” is here viewed as the center of one’s thoughts.
  11. 24 Heb “I am like a broken jar.” One throws away a broken jar without a second thought because it is considered worthless and useless.
  12. 25 Heb “the report of many.”
  13. 26 Heb “the terror from all around.”
  14. 27 Heb “in your hand [are] my times.”
  15. 28 Heb “cause your face to shine.”

The NET Bible First Edition, Copyright 1996-2005 by Biblical Studies Press

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am in distress;

my eye is wasted from grief;

my soul and my body also.

For my life is spent with sorrow,

and my years with sighing;

my strength fails because of my iniquity,

and my bones waste away.

Because of all my adversaries I have become a reproach,

especially to my neighbors,

and an object of dread to my acquaintances;

those who see me in the street flee from me.

I have been forgotten like one who is dead;

I have become like a broken vessel.

For I hear the whispering of many—

terror on every side!—

as they scheme together against me,

as they plot to take my life.

But I trust in you, O Lord;

I say, “You are my God.”

My times are in your hand;

rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from my persecutors!

Make your face shine on your servant;

save me in your steadfast love!

Copyright 2001 Crossway Bibles

NIVNew International Version (2011)

Be merciful to me, Lord, for I am in distress;

my eyes grow weak with sorrow,

my soul and body with grief.

My life is consumed by anguish

and my years by groaning;

my strength fails because of my affliction,

and my bones grow weak.

Because of all my enemies,

I am the utter contempt of my neighbors

and an object of dread to my closest friends—

those who see me on the street flee from me.

I am forgotten as though I were dead;

I have become like broken pottery.

For I hear many whispering,

“Terror on every side!”

They conspire against me

and plot to take my life.

But I trust in you, Lord;

I say, “You are my God.”

My times are in your hands;

deliver me from the hands of my enemies,

from those who pursue me.

Let your face shine on your servant;

save me in your unfailing love.

Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 Biblica, Inc.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

Be gracious to me, Lord,

because I am in distress;

my eyes are worn out from frustration—

my whole being as well.

Indeed, my life is consumed with grief

and my years with groaning;

my strength has failed

because of my iniquity,

and my bones waste away.

I am ridiculed by all my adversaries

and even by my neighbors.

I am dreaded by my acquaintances;

those who see me in the street run from me.

I am forgotten: gone from memory

like a dead person—like broken pottery.

I have heard the gossip of many;

terror is on every side.

When they conspired against me,

they plotted to take my life.

But I trust in you, Lord;

I say, “You are my God.”

The course of my life is in your power;

rescue me from the power of my enemies

and from my persecutors.

Make your face shine on your servant;

save me by your faithful love.

Copyright 2017 Holman Bible Publishers

NLTNew Living Translation

Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am in distress.

Tears blur my eyes.

My body and soul are withering away.

I am dying from grief;

my years are shortened by sadness.

Sin has drained my strength;

I am wasting away from within.

I am scorned by all my enemies

and despised by my neighbors—

even my friends are afraid to come near me.

When they see me on the street,

they run the other way.

I am ignored as if I were dead,

as if I were a broken pot.

I have heard the many rumors about me,

and I am surrounded by terror.

My enemies conspire against me,

plotting to take my life.

But I am trusting you, O Lord,

saying, “You are my God!”

My future is in your hands.

Rescue me from those who hunt me down relentlessly.

Let your favor shine on your servant.

In your unfailing love, rescue me.

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

Be gracious to me, O Yahweh,

because I have distress.

My eye wastes away because of vexation,

along with my soul and my body.

For my life is at an end with sorrow,

and my years with sighing.

My strength stumbles because of my iniquity,

and my bones waste away.

Because of all my adversaries I have become a disgrace,

especially to my neighbors,

and a dread to my acquaintances.

Those who see me in the street flee from me.

I have become forgotten like one dead, out of mind.

I am like a destroyed vessel.

For I hear the rumor of many,

“Terror on every side!”

When conspiring together against me,

they have plotted to take my life.

But as for me, I trust you, O Yahweh.

I say, “You are my God.”

My times are in your hand.

Deliver me from the hand of my enemies

and from those who pursue me.

Shine your face upon your servant.

Save me by your loyal love.

Copyright 2012 Lexham Press

KJV 1900King James Version

Have mercy upon me, O Lord, for I am in trouble:

Mine eye is consumed with grief, yea, my soul and my belly.

For my life is spent with grief, and my years with sighing:

My strength faileth because of mine iniquity, and my bones are consumed.

I was a reproach among all mine enemies,

But especially among my neighbours, and a fear to mine acquaintance:

They that did see me without fled from me.

I am forgotten as a dead man out of mind:

I am like a broken vessel.

For I have heard the slander of many:

Fear was on every side:

While they took counsel together against me,

They devised to take away my life.

But I trusted in thee, O Lord:

I said, Thou art my God.

My times are in thy hand:

Deliver me from the hand of mine enemies, and from them that persecute me.

Make thy face to shine upon thy servant:

Save me for thy mercies’ sake.

Public Domain