1 By David, a Psalm sung by the sons of Jonadab, and the first that were taken captive.
O Lord, I have hoped in thee: let me never be put to shame. 2 In thy righteousness deliver me and rescue me: incline thine ear to me, and save me. 3 Be to me a protecting God, and a strong hold to save me: for thou art my fortress and my refuge. 4 Deliver me, O my God, from the hand of the sinner, from the hand of the transgressor and unjust man. 5 For thou art my support, O Lord; O Lord, thou art my hope from my youth. 6 On thee have I been stayed from the womb: from the belly of my mother thou art my protector: of thee is my 1praise continually.
7 I am become as it were a wonder to many; but thou art my strong helper. 8 Let my mouth be filled with praise, that I may hymn thy glory, and thy majesty all the day. 9 Cast me not off at the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength fails. 10 For mine enemies have spoken against me; and they that lay wait for my soul have taken counsel together, 11 saying, God has forsaken him: persecute ye and take him; for there is none to deliver him. 12 O God, go not far from me, O my God, draw nigh to my help. 13 Let those that plot against my soul be ashamed and utterly fail: let those that seek my hurt be clothed with shame and dishonour.
14 But I will hope continually, and will praise thee more and more. 15 My mouth shall declare thy righteousness openly, and thy salvation all the day; for I am not acquainted with the affairs of men. 16 I will go on in the might of the Lord: O Lord, I will make mention of thy righteousness only. 17 O God, thou hast taught me from my youth, and until now will I declare thy wonders; 18 even until I am old and advanced in years. O God, forsake me not; until I shall have declared thine arm to all the generation that is to come: 19 even thy power and thy righteousness, O God, up to the highest heavens, even the mighty works which thou hast done: O God, who is like to thee?
20 What afflictions many and sore hast thou shewed me! yet thou didst turn and quicken me, and broughtest me again from the depths of the earth. 21 Thou didst multiply thy righteousness, and didst turn and comfort me, and broughtest me again out of the depths of the earth. 22 I will also therefore give thanks to thee, O God, because of thy truth, on an instrument of psalmody: I will sing psalms to thee on the harp, O Holy One of Israel. 23 My lips shall rejoice when I sing to thee; and my soul, which thou hast redeemed. 24 Moreover also my tongue shall 2dwell all the day upon thy righteousness; when they shall be ashamed and confounded that seek my hurt.
About this text. This is Sir Lancelot Brenton’s 1851 translation of the Septuagint — the Greek Old Testament the Orthodox Church reads, rather than the Hebrew text behind most English Bibles. It is in the public domain. Words in italics are ones Brenton supplied that the Greek does not have; he marked them so that a reader could tell the difference, and they are kept that way here. The numbered notes are his own. Its English is Victorian, and does not match the modern English of the New Testament pages on this site.
On the numbering. The Psalms are numbered here as the Septuagint numbers them, which is how Orthodox service books cite them. From Psalm 10 onward that is one behind a Hebrew-numbered Bible: Psalm 50 here is the Psalm 51 of most English Bibles. The Septuagint also carries a hundred and fifty-first Psalm, which those Bibles do not.