PSALMS 31

1 To victory, the psalm of David. Lord, I have hoped in thee, be I not shamed without end; deliver thou me in thy rightfulness [or rightwiseness]. 2 Bow down thine ear to me; haste thou to deliver me. Be thou to me into God a defender, and into an house of refuge; that thou make me safe. 3 For thou art my strength and my refuge; and for thy name, thou shalt lead me forth, and shalt nourish me. 4 Thou shalt lead me out of the snare, which they hid to me; for thou art my defender. 5 I betake my spirit into thine hands; Lord God of truth, thou hast again-bought me. 6 Thou hatest them that keep vanities superfluously. Forsooth I hoped in the Lord; 7 I shall have fully joy, and shall be glad in thy mercy. For thou beheldest my meekness; thou savedest my life from needs. 8 And thou enclosedest not me altogether within the hands of the enemy; thou hast set my feet in a large place. 9 Lord, have thou mercy on me, for I am troubled; mine eye is troubled in ire, my soul and my womb also. 10 For why my life failed in sorrow; and my years in wailings. My virtue is made feeble in poverty; and my bones be troubled. 11 Over all mine enemies I am made a shame, [and] greatly to my neighbours; and dread to my known. They that saw me withoutforth, fled from me; 12 I am given to forgetting, as a dead man from the heart. I am made as a forlorn vessel; 13 for I heard despising of many men dwelling in compass. In that thing while they came together against me; they counselled to take my life. 14 But, Lord, I hoped in thee; I said, Thou art my God; 15 my times be in thine hands. Deliver thou me from the hands of mine enemies; and from them that pursue me. 16 Make thou clear thy face on thy servant; Lord, make thou me safe in thy mercy; 17 be I not shamed, for I inwardly called thee. Unpious men be ashamed, and be they led forth into hell; 18 guileful lips be made dumb. That speak wickedness against a just [or rightwise] man; in pride, and in mis-using or in abusing. 19 Lord, the multitude of thy sweet-ness is full great; which thou hast hid to men dreading thee. Thou hast made a perfect thing to them that hope in thee; in the sight of the sons of men. 20 Thou shalt hide them in the private of thy face; from [the] troubling of men. Thou shalt defend them in thy tabernacle; from [the] against-saying of tongues. 21 Blessed be the Lord; for he hath made wonderful his mercy to me in a strengthened city. 22 Forsooth I said in the out-passing of my soul; I am cast out from the face of thine eyes. Therefore thou heardest the voice of my prayer; while I cried to thee. 23 All ye holy men of the Lord, love him; for the Lord shall seek truth, and he shall yield plenteously to them that do pride. 24 All ye that hope in the Lord, do ye manly; and your heart be comforted.