Psalms in Worship—Psalm 31 A Litany for Congregation and Leader

Leader:

¹ In you, O Lord, I seek refuge;
    do not let me ever be put to shame;
    in your righteousness deliver me.
 

All:

² Incline your ear to me;
    rescue me speedily.
Be a rock of refuge for me,
    a strong fortress to save me.
 

Leader:

³You are indeed my rock and my fortress;
    for your name’s sake lead me and guide me;
⁴ take me out of the net that is hidden for me,
    for you are my refuge.
 

All:

⁵ Into your hand I commit my spirit;
    you have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God.
 

Leader:

⁶ You hate those who pay regard to worthless idols,
    but I trust in the Lord.
 

All:

⁷ I will exult and rejoice in your steadfast love,
    because you have seen my affliction;
 

Leader:

you have taken notice of my adversities
⁸ and have not delivered me into the hand of the enemy;
 

All:

you have set my feet in a broad place.
 

Leader:

⁹ Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am in distress;
    my eye wastes away from grief,
    my soul and body also.
¹⁰ For my life is spent with sorrow
    and my years with sighing;
 

All:

my strength fails because of my misery,
    and my bones waste away.
 

Leader:

¹¹ I am the scorn of all my adversaries,
    a horror to my neighbors,
 

All:

an object of dread to my acquaintances;
    those who see me in the street flee from me.
 

Leader:

¹² I have passed out of mind like one who is dead;
 

All:

    I have become like a broken vessel.
 

Leader:

¹³ For I hear the whispering of many—
    terror all around!—
as they scheme together against me,
    as they plot to take my life.
¹⁴ But I trust in you, O Lord;
    I say, 
 

All:

“You are my God.”
 

Leader:

¹⁵ My times are in your hand;
    deliver me from the hand of my enemies and persecutors.
 

All:

¹⁶ Let your face shine upon your servant;
    save me in your steadfast love.
 

Leader:

¹⁷ Do not let me be put to shame, O Lord,
    for I call on you;
let the wicked be put to shame;
    let them go dumbfounded to Sheol.
¹⁸ Let the lying lips be stilled
    that speak insolently against the righteous
    with pride and contempt.
 

All:

¹⁹ O how abundant is your goodness
    that you have laid up for those who fear you
and accomplished for those who take refuge in you,
    in the sight of everyone!
 

Leader:

²⁰ In the shelter of your presence you hide them
    from human plots;
you hold them safe under your shelter
    from contentious tongues.
 

All:

²¹ Blessed be the Lord,
    for he has wondrously shown his steadfast love to me
    when I was beset as a city under siege.
 

Leader:

²² I had said in my alarm,
    “I am driven far from your sight.”
But you heard my supplications
    when I cried out to you for help.
 

All:

²³ Love the Lord, all you his saints.
 

Leader:

    The Lord preserves the faithful
    but abundantly repays the one who acts haughtily.
 

All:

²⁴ Be strong, and let your heart take courage,
    all you who wait for the Lord.