Psalm 71

¹In you, O Lord, have I taken refuge; *let me never be ashamed.

²In your righteousness, deliver me and set me free; *incline your ear to me and save me.

³Be my strong rock, a castle to keep me safe; *you are my crag and my stronghold.

⁴Deliver me, my God, from the hand of the wicked, *from the clutches of the evildoer and the oppressor.

⁵For you are my hope, O Lord God, *my confidence since I was young.

⁶I have been sustained by you ever since I was born; from my mother’s womb you have been my strength; *my praise shall be always of you.

⁷I have become a portent to many; *but you are my refuge and my strength.

⁸Let my mouth be full of your praise *and your glory all the day long.

⁹Do not cast me off in my old age; *forsake me not when my strength fails.

¹⁰For my enemies are talking against me, *and those who lie in wait for my life take counsel together.

¹¹They say, “God has forsaken him; go after him and seize him; *because there is none who will save.”

¹²O God, be not far from me; *come quickly to help me, O my God.

¹³Let those who set themselves against me be put to shame and be disgraced; *let those who seek to do me evil be covered with scorn and reproach.

¹⁴But I shall always wait in patience, *and shall praise you more and more.

¹⁵My mouth shall recount your mighty acts and saving deeds all day long; *though I cannot know the number of them.

¹⁶I will begin with the mighty works of the Lord God; *I will recall your righteousness, yours alone.

¹⁷O God, you have taught me since I was young, *and to this day I tell of your wonderful works.

¹⁸And now that I am old and gray-headed, O God, do not forsake me, *till I make known your strength to this generation and your power to all who are to come.

¹⁹Your righteousness, O God, reaches to the heavens; *you have done great things; who is like you, O God?

²⁰You have showed me great troubles and adversities, *but you will restore my life and bring me up again from the deep places of the earth.

²¹You strengthen me more and more; *you enfold and comfort me,

²²Therefore I will praise you upon the lyre for your faithfulness, O my God; *I will sing to you with the harp, O Holy One of Israel.

²³My lips will sing with joy when I play to you, *and so will my soul, which you have redeemed.

²⁴My tongue will proclaim your righteousness all day long, *for they are ashamed and disgraced who sought to do me harm.