詩篇31:1-24

31:1 （大衛的詩，交與伶長。）耶和華啊，我投靠你；求你使我永不羞愧；憑你的公義搭救我！
31:2 求你側耳而聽，快快救我！作我堅固的磐石，拯救我的保障！
31:3 因為你是我的巖石，我的山寨；所以，求你為你名的緣故引導我，指點我。
31:4 求你救我脫離人為我暗設的網羅，因為你是我的保障。
31:5 我將我的靈魂交在你手裡；耶和華誠實的上帝啊，你救贖了我。
31:6 我恨惡那信奉虛無之神的人；我卻倚靠耶和華。
31:7 我要為你的慈愛高興歡喜；因為你見過我的困苦，知道我心中的艱難。
31:8 你未曾把我交在仇敵手裡；你使我的腳站在寬闊之處。
31:9 耶和華啊，求你憐恤我，因為我在急難之中；我的眼睛因憂愁而乾癟，連我的身心也不安舒。
31:10 我的生命為愁苦所消耗；我的年歲為歎息所曠廢。我的力量因我的罪孽衰敗；我的骨頭也枯乾。
31:11 我因一切敵人成了羞辱，在我的鄰舍跟前更甚；那認識我的都懼怕我，在外頭看見我的都躲避我。
31:12 我被人忘記，如同死人，無人記念；我好像破碎的器皿。
31:13 我聽見了許多人的讒謗，四圍都是驚嚇；他們一同商議攻擊我的時候，就圖謀要害我的性命。
31:14 耶和華啊，我仍舊倚靠你；我說：你是我的上帝。
31:15 我終身的事在你手中；求你救我脫離仇敵的手和那些逼迫我的人。
31:16 求你使你的臉光照僕人，憑你的慈愛拯救我。
31:17 耶和華啊，求你叫我不致羞愧，因為我曾呼籲你；求你使惡人羞愧，使他們在陰間緘默無聲。
31:18 那撒謊的人逞驕傲輕慢，出狂妄的話攻擊義人；願他的嘴啞而無言。
31:19 敬畏你、投靠你的人，你為他們所積存的，在世人面前所施行的恩惠是何等大呢！
31:20 你必把他們藏在你面前的隱密處，免得遇見人的計謀；你必暗暗地保守他們在亭子裡，免受口舌的爭鬧。
31:21 耶和華是應當稱頌的，因為他在堅固城裡向我施展奇妙的慈愛。
31:22 至於我，我曾急促地說：我從你眼前被隔絕。然而，我呼求你的時候，你仍聽我懇求的聲音。
31:23 耶和華的聖民哪，你們都要愛他！耶和華保護誠實人，足足報應行事驕傲的人。
31:24 凡仰望耶和華的人，你們都要壯膽，堅固你們的心！

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

¹ In you, Lord, I have taken refuge;
    let me never be put to shame;
    deliver me in your righteousness.
² Turn your ear to me,
    come quickly to my rescue;
be my rock of refuge,
    a strong fortress to save me.
³ Since you are my rock and my fortress,
    for the sake of your name lead and guide me.
⁴ Keep me free from the trap that is set for me,
    for you are my refuge.
⁵ Into your hands I commit my spirit;
    deliver me, Lord, my faithful God.

⁶ I hate those who cling to worthless idols;
    as for me, I trust in the Lord.
⁷ I will be glad and rejoice in your love,
    for you saw my affliction
    and knew the anguish of my soul.
⁸ You have not given me into the hands of the enemy
    but have set my feet in a spacious place.

⁹ Be merciful to me, Lord, for I am in distress;
    my eyes grow weak with sorrow,
    my soul and body with grief.
¹⁰ My life is consumed by anguish
    and my years by groaning;
my strength fails because of my affliction,^[b]
    and my bones grow weak.
¹¹ Because of all my enemies,
    I am the utter contempt of my neighbors
and an object of dread to my closest friends—
    those who see me on the street flee from me.
¹² I am forgotten as though I were dead;
    I have become like broken pottery.
¹³ For I hear many whispering,
    “Terror on every side!”
They conspire against me
    and plot to take my life.

¹⁴ But I trust in you, Lord;
    I say, “You are my God.”
¹⁵ My times are in your hands;
    deliver me from the hands of my enemies,
    from those who pursue me.
¹⁶ Let your face shine on your servant;
    save me in your unfailing love.
¹⁷ Let me not be put to shame, Lord,
    for I have cried out to you;
but let the wicked be put to shame
    and be silent in the realm of the dead.
¹⁸ Let their lying lips be silenced,
    for with pride and contempt
    they speak arrogantly against the righteous.

¹⁹ How abundant are the good things
    that you have stored up for those who fear you,
that you bestow in the sight of all,
    on those who take refuge in you.
²⁰ In the shelter of your presence you hide them
    from all human intrigues;
you keep them safe in your dwelling
    from accusing tongues.

²¹ Praise be to the Lord,
    for he showed me the wonders of his love
    when I was in a city under siege.
²² In my alarm I said,
    “I am cut off from your sight!”
Yet you heard my cry for mercy
    when I called to you for help.

²³ Love the Lord, all his faithful people!
    The Lord preserves those who are true to him,
    but the proud he pays back in full.
²⁴ Be strong and take heart,
    all you who hope in the Lord.

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    「等候」和「急促」是我們對禱告的兩種反應，但是上帝都能容忍，就像詩人描述的：「至於我，我曾急促地說：我從你眼前被隔絕。然而，我呼求你的時候，你仍聽我懇求的聲音。」

    的確，我們禱告等不到結果時，常常會像詩人所說，會急促的下定論，以為上帝放棄了我們，不垂聽我們的禱告聲。但是，詩人後來並不放棄，仍然向上帝禱告，不管上帝有沒有應允，他堅定的相信：「你仍聽我懇求的聲音。」

    是的！不管任何況，我們依然堅定相信：「你仍聽我懇求的聲音」。因為，上帝是信實的上帝，我們之所以有信心，不是因為我們的意志上相信，是上帝本身就是信實的，信靠與仰望祂的人，必不落空！