Psalms

In thee, O LORD, do I put my trust: let me never be put to confusion.

1LORD, I trust in you. Never let me be shamed.

Note"Put to confusion" in the King James Version does not mean mixed up. It means publicly shamed or humiliated.

2Deliver me in thy righteousness, and cause me to escape: incline thine ear unto me, and save me.

2You always do what is right, so rescue me and set me free. Listen to me and save me.

3Be thou my strong habitation, whereunto I may continually resort: thou hast given commandment to save me; for thou art my rock and my fortress.

3Be my safe home, a place I can always go. You have given the order to save me, because you are my rock and my fort.

4Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man.

4My God, save me from the grip of evil people, from the hand of cruel and unfair men.

5For thou art my hope, O Lord GOD: thou art my trust from my youth.

5Lord GOD, you are my hope. I have trusted you since I was young.

6By thee have I been holden up from the womb: thou art he that took me out of my mother’s bowels: my praise shall be continually of thee.

6I have leaned on you since the day I was born. You brought me out of my mother's body. I praise you all the time.

7I am as a wonder unto many; but thou art my strong refuge.

7Many people look at me and wonder what has happened to me. But you are my strong safe place.

Note"A wonder unto many" means people stare at him as a strange sight or a warning sign, not that they admire him.

8Let my mouth be filled with thy praise and with thy honour all the day.

8Fill my mouth with praise for you, telling how great you are all day long.

9Cast me not off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength faileth.

9Do not throw me away when I am old. Do not leave me when my strength runs out.

10For mine enemies speak against me; and they that lay wait for my soul take counsel together,

10My enemies talk against me. Those who watch for a chance to kill me plan together.

11Saying, God hath forsaken him: persecute and take him; for there is none to deliver him.

11They say, "God has left him. Chase him down and grab him. No one will save him."

12O God, be not far from me: O my God, make haste for my help.

12God, do not stay far from me. My God, hurry and help me.

13Let them be confounded and consumed that are adversaries to my soul; let them be covered with reproach and dishonour that seek my hurt.

13Let the ones who accuse me be shamed and finished. Let those who want to hurt me be covered with disgrace.

14But I will hope continually, and will yet praise thee more and more.

14But I will keep on hoping, and I will praise you more and more.

15My mouth shall shew forth thy righteousness and thy salvation all the day; for I know not the numbers thereof.

15All day long I will tell how right you are and how you save. I cannot even count the ways.

16I will go in the strength of the Lord GOD: I will make mention of thy righteousness, even of thine only.

16I will go forward in the strength of the Lord GOD. I will speak of how right you are, and of no one else.

17O God, thou hast taught me from my youth: and hitherto have I declared thy wondrous works.

17God, you have taught me since I was young, and I have told about your wonderful works ever since.

18Now also when I am old and greyheaded, O God, forsake me not; until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to every one that is to come.

18Now I am old and my hair is gray. God, do not leave me. Let me tell this generation and every one still to come how strong you are.

19Thy righteousness also, O God, is very high, who hast done great things: O God, who is like unto thee!

19God, the right things you do reach as high as the sky. You have done great things. God, who is like you?

20Thou, which hast shewed me great and sore troubles, shalt quicken me again, and shalt bring me up again from the depths of the earth.

20You have let me see many hard and bitter troubles. You will bring me back to life. You will lift me up again from deep in the earth.

Note"Quicken" in 1611 English meant to make alive again, not to speed something up.

21Thou shalt increase my greatness, and comfort me on every side.

21You will make me greater than before, and you will comfort me on every side.

22I will also praise thee with the psaltery, even thy truth, O my God: unto thee will I sing with the harp, O thou Holy One of Israel.

22My God, I will praise you with a stringed instrument because you keep your promises. Holy One of Israel, I will sing to you with the harp.

NoteThe "psaltery" was a stringed instrument something like a small harp.

23My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing unto thee; and my soul, which thou hast redeemed.

23My lips will shout for joy when I sing to you, and so will my whole self, which you have bought back.

24My tongue also shall talk of thy righteousness all the day long: for they are confounded, for they are brought unto shame, that seek my hurt.

24All day long my tongue will tell how right you are, because those who wanted to hurt me have been shamed and beaten.