Psalm 31 and Psalm 31
As translated in the New Revised Standard Version of the Holy Bible
As translated by Nan Merrill
(From her excellent book, Psalms for Praying: An Invitation To Wholeness. Available at Amazon.com )
In you, O Lord, I seek refuge; In you, Beloved, I would make my home;
do not let me ever be put to shame; Though I be humiliated with guilt,
in your righteousness deliver me. Your mercy and forgiveness will deliver me!
Incline your ear to me; Hear me,
rescue me speedily. and hasten to my assistance!
Be a rock of refuge for me, For you are my strength
a strong fortress to save me. and have the power to raise me up!
You are indeed my rock and my fortress; Yes, you are strength and truth to me,
for your name’s sake lead me and guide me, You are my teacher and my guide;
take me out of the net that is hidden for me, The fire of your abiding love
cleanses my heart.
for you are my refuge. Loosen the webs that entangle me,
that veil my love for you.
Into your hand I commit my spirit; Into your heart I commend my soul.
you have redeemed me, You have redeemed me O Love,
O Lord, faithful God. O Faithful One!
You hate those who pay regard Those who put their focus and trust
to worthless idols, in false idols
but I trust in the Lord. separate themselves from You,
I will exult and rejoice in your steadfast love, O Love.
because you have seen my affliction; Though You have seen my guilt and have
noted my wrongdoings,
you have taken heed of my adversities, You have not left me alone with my fears;
and have not delivered me
into the hand of the enemy; rather, You have forgiven my folly
you have set my feet in a broad place. and set my feet on Love's path.
My heartfelt gratitude knows no bounds, O Gracious Mender of Souls!
Be gracious to me, O Lord, Be a comfort to me, Beloved,
for I am in distress; for I am in distress;
my eye wastes away from grief, my eyes are dim from weeping,
my soul and body also. my soul is deep with grief.
For my life is spent with sorrow, For my life is worn away with sorrow,
and my years with sighing; My body is weakened
my strength fails because of my misery, and my bones waste away with misery.
and my bones waste away.
I am the scorn of all my adversaries, All my fears rise up to mock me,
a horror to my neighbours, my neighbors turn away,
an object of dread to my acquaintances; My friends dread to see me
those who see me in the street flee from me. and flee from my sickness of soul.
I have passed out of mind My mind, too, has left me
like one who is dead; like one who is dead;
I have become like a broken vessel. I have become like a broken vessel.
For I hear the whispering of many— Yes, I hear the voices around me
whispering of my plight -
terror all around!— fears rise up on every side!
as they scheme together against me, Isolation, rejection, fear surround me
as they plot to take my life. and conspire to overwhelm me,
But I trust in you, O Lord; Still, I trust in You, O Beloved,
I say, ‘You are my God.’ I repeat, "You are my Life."
My times are in your hand; My life is in Your hands;
deliver me from the hand Deliver me from the fears
of my enemies and persecutors. which separate me!
Let your face shine upon your servant; Let Your face shine on me!
save me in your steadfast love. Hold me in Your steadfast love!
Do not let me be put to shame, O Lord, Let me know Your forgiveness, O Love,
for I call on you; for I call upon You;
let the wicked be put to shame; let my fears be cast out,
let them go dumbfounded to Sheol. let them be transformed.
Let the lying lips be stilled Let me speak only truth, Beloved,
that speak insolently against the righteous that I might live with integrity,
with pride and contempt. offering my work and praise to You.
O how abundant is your goodness O how abundant is Your goodness,
that you have laid up for those which is ever-present to those
who fear you, who reverence You,
and accomplished for those and available to all
who take refuge in you, who make Your Heart their home,
in the sight of everyone! openly for all to see!
In the shelter of your presence you hide them Like a mother hen, you shelter them
from human plots; from the temptations of the world;
you hold them safe under your shelter You hold them safe under Your wings
from contentious tongues. from the enemy.....fear.
Blessed be the Lord, Blessed be the eternal Beloved,
for he has wondrously shown his who wondrously showered me
steadfast love to me with steadfast Love
when I was beset as a city under siege. when I was overwhelmed by fear.
I had said in my alarm, I had cried out, "Where are You?
‘I am driven far from your sight.’ Have You left me alone forever?"
But you heard my supplications You heard my fear-filled pleas
when I cried out to you for help. and enveloped me in Love.
Love the Lord, all you his saints. Listen in the silence, all you saints!
For Wisdom makes her home there.
The Lord preserves the faithful, The Beloved upholds the faith-filled,
those who embrace goodness and walk in the Light.
but abundantly repays Those who choose to remain in illusion
the one who acts haughtily. separate themselves from truth and know not Love.
Be strong, Be strong
and let your heart take courage, and let your heart take courage and be encouraged,
all you who wait for the Lord. all you who would serve with Love
in the Oneness of Light.
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