Psalm 31:9–16

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.