1 PSALM 71 Prayer of an Old Man for Rescue. In you, O L, I have put my trustandconfidently taken refuge;Let me never beI.e. have my expectations in Your goodness be disappointed.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 refugeanda sheltering stronghold to which I may continually come;You have given the commandment to save me,For You are my rock and my fortress.
4 Rescue me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked (godless),From the grasp of the unrighteous and ruthless man.
5 For You are my hope;O Lord G,You aremy trustandthe source of my confidence from my youth.
6 Upon You have I reliedandbeen sustained from my birth;You are He who took me from my mother’s wombandYou have been my benefactor from that day.My praise is continually of You.
7 I am as a wonder to many,For You are my strong refuge.
8 My mouth is filled with Your praiseAnd with Your glory all day long.
9 Do not cast me offnorsend me away in the time of old age;Do not abandon me when my strength failsandI am weak.
10 For my enemies have spoken against me;Those who watch for my life have consulted together,
11 Saying, “God has abandoned him;Pursue and seize him, for there is no one to rescuehim.”
12 O God, do not be far from me;O my God, come quickly to help me!
13 Let those who attack my life be ashamed and consumed;Let them be covered with reproach and dishonor, who seek to injure me.
14 But as for me, I will waitandhope continually,And will praise You yet more and more.
15 My mouth shall tell of Your righteousnessAnd of Your [deeds of] salvation all day long,For their number is more than I know.
16 I will come with the mighty acts of the Lord G[and in His strength];I will make mention of Your righteousness, Yours alone.
17 O God, You have taught me from my youth,And I still declare Your wondrous worksandmiraculous deeds.
18 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.
19 Your righteousness, O God,reachesto the [height of the] heavens,You who have done great things;O God, who is like You, [who is Your equal]?
20 You who have shownAnother reading is us.me many troubles and distressesWill reviveandrenew me again,And will bring me up again from the depths of the earth.
21 May You increase my greatness (honor)And turn to comfort me.
22 I will also praise You with the harp,Your truthandfaithfulness, O my God;To You I will sing praises with the lyre,O Holy One of Israel.
23 My lips will shout for joy when I sing praises to You,And my soul, which You have redeemed.
24 My tongue also will speak of Your righteousness all day long;For they are ashamed, for they are humiliated who seek my injury.