Psalm 71

Psalm 71

Prayer for Lifelong Protection and Help

¹In you, O Lord, I take refuge;

let me never be put to shame.^*

²In your righteousness deliver me and rescue me;

incline your ear to me and save me.^*

³Be to me a rock of refuge,

a strong fortress^o to save me,

for you are my rock and my fortress.^*

⁴Rescue me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked,

from the grasp of the unjust and cruel.^*

⁵For you, O Lord, are my hope,

my trust, O Lord, from my youth.^*

⁶From my birth I have leaned upon you,

my protector since my mother’s womb.^p

My praise is continually of you.^*

⁷I have been like a portent to many,

but you are my strong refuge.^*

⁸My mouth is filled with your praise

and with your glory all day long.^*

⁹Do not cast me off in the time of old age;

do not forsake me when my strength is spent.^*

¹⁰For my enemies speak concerning me,

and those who watch for my life consult together.^*

¹¹They say, “Pursue and seize that person

whom God has forsaken,

for there is no one to deliver.”^*

¹²O God, do not be far from me;

O my God, make haste to help me!^*

¹³Let my accusers be put to shame and consumed;

let those who seek to hurt me

be covered with scorn and disgrace.^*

¹⁴But I will hope continually

and will praise you yet more and more.

¹⁵My mouth will tell of your righteous acts,

of your deeds of salvation all day long,

though their number is past my knowledge.^*

¹⁶I will come praising the mighty deeds of the Lord God;

I will praise your righteousness, yours alone.^*

¹⁷O God, from my youth you have taught me,

and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds.^*

¹⁸So even to old age and gray hairs,

O God, do not forsake me,

until I proclaim your might

to all the generations to come.^q

Your power^{* 19}and your righteousness, O God,

reach the high heavens.

You who have done great things,

O God, who is like you?^*

²⁰You who have made me see many troubles and calamities

will revive me again;

from the depths of the earth

you will bring me up again.^*

²¹You will increase my honor

and comfort me once again.

²²I will also praise you with the harp

for your faithfulness, O my God;

I will sing praises to you with the lyre,

O Holy One of Israel.^*

²³My lips will shout for joy

when I sing praises to you;

my soul also, which you have rescued.^*

²⁴All day long my tongue will talk of your righteous help,

for those who tried to do me harm

have been put to shame and disgraced.^*