Section 40 of 27131:1–24Psalms

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King James VersionPsalms 31:1–24

In thee, O LORD, do I put my trust; let me never be ashamed: deliver me in thy righteousness.

Bow down thine ear to me; deliver me speedily: be thou my strong rock, for an house of defence to save me.

For thou art my rock and my fortress; therefore for thy name’s sake lead me, and guide me.

Pull me out of the net that they have laid privily for me: for thou art my strength.

Into thine hand I commit my spirit: thou hast redeemed me, O LORD God of truth.

I have hated them that regard lying vanities: but I trust in the LORD.

I will be glad and rejoice in thy mercy: for thou hast considered my trouble; thou hast known my soul in adversities;

And hast not shut me up into the hand of the enemy: thou hast set my feet in a large room.

Have mercy upon me, O LORD, for I am in trouble: mine eye is consumed with grief, yea, my soul and my belly.

For my life is spent with grief, and my years with sighing: my strength faileth because of mine iniquity, and my bones are consumed.

I was a reproach among all mine enemies, but especially among my neighbours, and a fear to mine acquaintance: they that did see me without fled from me.

I am forgotten as a dead man out of mind: I am like a broken vessel.

For I have heard the slander of many: fear was on every side: while they took counsel together against me, they devised to take away my life.

But I trusted in thee, O LORD: I said, Thou art my God.

My times are in thy hand: deliver me from the hand of mine enemies, and from them that persecute me.

Make thy face to shine upon thy servant: save me for thy mercies’ sake.

Let me not be ashamed, O LORD; for I have called upon thee: let the wicked be ashamed, and let them be silent in the grave.

Let the lying lips be put to silence; which speak grievous things proudly and contemptuously against the righteous.

Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men!

Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence from the pride of man: thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues.

Blessed be the LORD: for he hath shewed me his marvellous kindness in a strong city.

For I said in my haste, I am cut off from before thine eyes: nevertheless thou heardest the voice of my supplications when I cried unto thee.

O love the LORD, all ye his saints: for the LORD preserveth the faithful, and plentifully rewardeth the proud doer.

Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD.

Italic words were supplied in the English translation for clarity.

Scripture text: King James Version, Standardized 1769 text. Public domain in the United States.About this Bible text

Psalms 31:1–24

Refuge amid slander, isolation, and grief

A spirit committed while the vessel feels broken

The speaker takes refuge and asks never to be put to shame. God is rock and fortress. Into God's hand he commits his spirit; God has redeemed him, faithful God. He hates those who pay regard to worthless idols and trusts the LORD.

Mercy is asked, because he is in distress: eye, soul, and body wasted with grief. Life is spent with sorrow, years with sighing. Strength fails, bones waste. He is a reproach, especially to neighbors, a dread to acquaintances; those who see him in the street flee. He is forgotten like the dead, like a broken vessel. Fear is on every side. The poem describes isolation. It does not romanticize it, diagnose it from outside, or tell the sufferer that trust must end this on demand.

Times in God's hand, then courage for all who wait

But he trusts. 'You are my God. My times are in your hand.' Deliver me from the hand of my enemies. Make your face shine. Let him not be ashamed, for he calls. Let the wicked be ashamed and go silent to Sheol. Lying lips that speak insolently are asked to be struck dumb.

How abundant is the goodness stored up for those who fear God, worked for those who take refuge, in the sight of the children of mankind. God hides them in the shelter of his presence from secret plots. Blessed be the LORD, who made his steadfast love wonderful in a besieged city. Love the LORD, all his saints. Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the LORD. The close widens from one broken vessel to a company of waiters, still without a date.

How this should shape us

Commit the spirit while the social body still feels smashed. Do not tell isolated people that real trust would have already repaired them. Wait with them; do not schedule their courage.

Teach it back

Explain Psalms 31:1–24 in your own words. Name the poetic voice and movement, trace its place in Psalm 31 and Book I, identify one exact source control or uncertainty, and reject one use the passage does not authorize.

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The explanation above is meant to stand on its own. Open these notes only if you want language, history, disagreements, or source locations.

Where careful interpreters disagreeThe strongest options and their difficulties

Where do responsible readings differ?

Best judgment: The poem's bodily and social anguish must not be romanticized, diagnosed from afar, or used to tell sufferers that trust ends distress on demand.

How certain? probable

Research trail and exact locationsThe source record behind this section

King James (Authorized) Version — eng-kjv2006

Supports: Exact displayed KJV wording, verse order, paragraph metadata, supplied-word markup, and complete thought-unit coverage.

Psalms 31:1–24, pinned eng-kjv2006 USFM-derived repository corpus

Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible: Psalms

Supports: Masoretic Hebrew wording and morphology checked at the exact unit without treating morphology as a complete apparatus or interpretation.

Open Scriptures MorphHB v2.2, commit 6a5db284c715c18b239422e57bb89684e6a19f00, wlc/Ps.xml, OSIS 31:1–24

NET Bible Notes: Psalms 1-150

Supports: Verse-level controls for poetic syntax, imagery, older KJV language, textual issues, headings, and alternatives in Psalms 31:1–24.

Official NET Bible Psalm 31 HTML, translator, textual, and study notes attached to Psalms 31:1–24

Psalms course: summary, outline, background, introductory issues, theological themes, and Bible in the world

Supports: Five-book, genre, poetic, historical, theological, liturgical, communal, and reception synthesis with visible limits.

Enter the Bible Psalms course, Introductory Issues: individual and communal lament, from lament to praise, and Bible in the World; applied to Psalms 31:1–24

A New English Translation of the Septuagint: Psalms

Supports: Ancient Greek wording, numbering, division, and superscription evidence where it materially clarifies translation or reception.

NETS Psalms, Pietersma introduction pp. 542–543 and exact Greek translation headed Ps 31 for Psalms 31:1–24

Preventing Suicide: A Resource for Media Professionals, Update 2023

Supports: Communication safeguards against romanticizing, sensationalizing, diagnosing, blaming, or simplifying despair, isolation, death wishes, and severe loss; not exegesis.

WHO, Preventing Suicide: A Resource for Media Professionals, Update 2023, quick guide p. xiii and dos and don'ts pp. 11–16; applied only to modern safety-aware presentation of Psalms 31:1–24

Sources for This Section

These records identify the source, the claim it supports, and the exact location used. A source remains evidence to evaluate; it does not replace the biblical text.

Biblical text

King James (Authorized) Version — eng-kjv2006

eBible.org and CrossWire Bible Society

USFM archive eng-kjv2006_usfm.zip; source files dated 2026-08-19; downloaded 2026-08-24; archive SHA-256 aec1b3b26c622fd3d963d2bbac963016b9513246ffbfa20da00bb100372ea007; normalized corpus SHA-256 09aef51d90488aa7b9722b3fd9a93f4b25f6bf2064c5fd798fb39673c300ddf2.

Supports: Exact displayed KJV wording, verse order, paragraph metadata, supplied-word markup, and complete thought-unit coverage.

Exact location: Psalms 31:1–24, pinned eng-kjv2006 USFM-derived repository corpus

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hebrew text and morphology

Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible: Psalms

Open Scriptures

Open Scriptures, release 2.2

Supports: Masoretic Hebrew wording and morphology checked at the exact unit without treating morphology as a complete apparatus or interpretation.

Exact location: Open Scriptures MorphHB v2.2, commit 6a5db284c715c18b239422e57bb89684e6a19f00, wlc/Ps.xml, OSIS 31:1–24

Open the fixed Hebrew Psalms file ↗

translation and translator notes

NET Bible Notes: Psalms 1-150

Biblical Studies Press

Biblical Studies Press, current official online edition

Supports: Verse-level controls for poetic syntax, imagery, older KJV language, textual issues, headings, and alternatives in Psalms 31:1–24.

Exact location: Official NET Bible Psalm 31 HTML, translator, textual, and study notes attached to Psalms 31:1–24

Open the official NET Psalms notes ↗

modern scholarly book course

Psalms course: summary, outline, background, introductory issues, theological themes, and Bible in the world

Fred Gaiser; revised by Nicholas Schaser

Enter the Bible, Luther Seminary, revised May 2024

Supports: Five-book, genre, poetic, historical, theological, liturgical, communal, and reception synthesis with visible limits.

Exact location: Enter the Bible Psalms course, Introductory Issues: individual and communal lament, from lament to praise, and Bible in the World; applied to Psalms 31:1–24

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ancient greek text translation and introduction

A New English Translation of the Septuagint: Psalms

Albert Pietersma

International Organization for Septuagint and Cognate Studies; Oxford University Press, 2009

Supports: Ancient Greek wording, numbering, division, and superscription evidence where it materially clarifies translation or reception.

Exact location: NETS Psalms, Pietersma introduction pp. 542–543 and exact Greek translation headed Ps 31 for Psalms 31:1–24

Open NETS Psalms ↗

public health communication guidance

Preventing Suicide: A Resource for Media Professionals, Update 2023

World Health Organization

World Health Organization, 2023

Supports: Communication safeguards against romanticizing, sensationalizing, diagnosing, blaming, or simplifying despair, isolation, death wishes, and severe loss; not exegesis.

Exact location: WHO, Preventing Suicide: A Resource for Media Professionals, Update 2023, quick guide p. xiii and dos and don'ts pp. 11–16; applied only to modern safety-aware presentation of Psalms 31:1–24

Open the WHO communication guide ↗