Psalm 71

Prayer of an Old Man for Rescue.

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In you, O Lord, I have put my trust and confidently taken refuge;
Let me never be ^(a)put to shame.

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In Your righteousness deliver me and rescue me;
Incline Your ear to me and save me.

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Be to me a rock of refuge and a sheltering stronghold to which I may continually come;
You have given the commandment to save me,
For You are my rock and my fortress.

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Rescue me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked (godless),
From the grasp of the unrighteous and ruthless man.

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For You are my hope;
O Lord God, You are my trust and the source of my confidence from my youth.

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Upon You have I relied and been sustained from my birth;
You are He who took me from my mother’s womb and You have been my benefactor from that day.
My praise is continually of You.

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I am as a wonder to many,
For You are my strong refuge.

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My mouth is filled with Your praise
And with Your glory all day long.

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Do not cast me off nor send me away in the time of old age;
Do not abandon me when my strength fails and I am weak.

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For my enemies have spoken against me;
Those who watch for my life have consulted together,

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Saying, “God has abandoned him;
Pursue and seize him, for there is no one to rescue him.”

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O God, do not be far from me;
O my God, come quickly to help me!

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Let those who attack my life be ashamed and consumed;
Let them be covered with reproach and dishonor, who seek to injure me.

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But as for me, I will wait and hope continually,
And will praise You yet more and more.

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My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness
And of Your [deeds of] salvation all day long,
For their number is more than I know.

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I will come with the mighty acts of the Lord God [and in His strength];
I will make mention of Your righteousness, Yours alone.

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O God, You have taught me from my youth,
And I still declare Your wondrous works and miraculous deeds.

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And even when I am old and gray-headed, O God, do not abandon me,
Until I declare Your [mighty] strength to this generation,
Your power to all who are to come.

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Your righteousness, O God, reaches to the [height of the] heavens,
You who have done great things;
O God, who is like You, [who is Your equal]?

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You who have shown ^(b)me many troubles and distresses
Will revive and renew me again,
And will bring me up again from the depths of the earth.

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May You increase my greatness (honor)
And turn to comfort me.

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I will also praise You with the harp,
Your truth and faithfulness, O my God;
To You I will sing praises with the lyre,
O Holy One of Israel.

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My lips will shout for joy when I sing praises to You,
And my soul, which You have redeemed.

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My tongue also will speak of Your righteousness all day long;
For they are ashamed, for they are humiliated who seek my injury.

Footnotes:

a. Psalm 71:1: I.e. have my expectations in Your goodness be disappointed.

b. Psalm 71:20: Another reading is us.