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Psalm 71

Prayer for Lifelong Protection and Help

¹ In you, O Lord, I take refuge;
   let me never be put to shame.
² In your righteousness deliver me and rescue me;
   incline your ear to me and save me.
³ Be to me a rock of refuge,
   a strong fortress,^* to save me,
   for you are my rock and my fortress.

⁴ Rescue me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked,
   from the grasp of the unjust and cruel.
⁵ For you, O Lord, are my hope,
   my trust, O Lord, from my youth.
⁶ Upon you I have leaned from my birth;
   it was you who took me from my mother’s womb.
My praise is continually of you.

⁷ I have been like a portent to many,
   but you are my strong refuge.
⁸ My mouth is filled with your praise,
   and with your glory all day long.
⁹ Do not cast me off in the time of old age;
   do not forsake me when my strength is spent.
¹⁰ For my enemies speak concerning me,
   and those who watch for my life consult together.
¹¹ They say, ‘Pursue and seize that person
   whom God has forsaken,
   for there is no one to deliver.’

¹² O God, do not be far from me;
   O my God, make haste to help me!
¹³ Let my accusers be put to shame and consumed;
   let those who seek to hurt me
   be covered with scorn and disgrace.
¹⁴ But I will hope continually,
   and will praise you yet more and more.
¹⁵ My mouth will tell of your righteous acts,
   of your deeds of salvation all day long,
   though their number is past my knowledge.
¹⁶ I will come praising the mighty deeds of the Lord God,
   I will praise your righteousness, yours alone.

¹⁷ O God, from my youth you have taught me,
   and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds.
¹⁸ So even to old age and grey hairs,
   O God, do not forsake me,
until I proclaim your might
   to all the generations to come.^*
Your power ¹⁹and your righteousness, O God,
   reach the high heavens.

You who have done great things,
   O God, who is like you?
²⁰ You 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.
²¹ You will increase my honour,
   and comfort me once again.

²² I 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.
²³ My lips will shout for joy
   when I sing praises to you;
   my soul also, which you have rescued.
²⁴ All 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.