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Psalms · Bible in Basic English

Psalm 31 Bible in Basic English

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About BBE
  • Scholarly edition
  • OT: Masoretic Hebrew (not verified)
  • NT: Critical text (not verified)
  • Protestant (66 books)
  • Simplified language
  • 1965
  • Public domain

Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings

Notes on this text (1)

1 To the chief music-maker. A Psalm. Of David. In you, O Lord, have I put my hope; let me never be shamed; keep me safe in your righteousness. 2 Let your ear be turned to me; take me quickly out of danger; be my strong Rock, my place of strength where I may be safe. 3 For you are my Rock and my strong tower; go in front of me and be my guide, because of your name. 4 Take me out of the net which they have put ready for me secretly; for you are my strength. 5 Into your hands I give my spirit; you are my saviour, O Lord God for ever true. 6 I am full of hate for those who go after false gods; but my hope is in the Lord. 7 I will be glad and have delight in your mercy; because you have seen my trouble; you have had pity on my soul in its sorrows; 8 And you have not given me into the hand of my hater; you have put my feet in a wide place. 9 Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am in trouble; my eyes are wasted with grief, I am wasted in soul and body. 10 My life goes on in sorrow, and my years in weeping; my strength is almost gone because of my sin, and my bones are wasted away. 11 Because of all those who are against me, I have become a word of shame to my neighbours; a cause of shaking the head and a fear to my friends: those who saw me in the street went in flight from me. 12 I have gone from men's minds and memory like a dead man; I am like a broken vessel. 13 False statements against me have come to my ears; fear was on every side: they were talking together against me, designing to take away my life. 14 But I had faith in you, O Lord; I said, You are my God. 15 The chances of my life are in your hand; take me out of the hands of my haters, and of those who go after me. 16 Let your servant see the light of your face; in your mercy be my saviour. 17 Let me not be shamed, O Lord, for I have made my prayer to you; let the sinners be shamed, and let their mouths be shut in the underworld. 18 Let the false lips be shut, which say evil against the upright, looking down on him in their pride. 19 O how great is your grace, which you have put in store for your worshippers, and which you have made clear to those who had faith in you, before the sons of men! 20 You will keep them safe in your house from the designs of man; in the secret of your tent will you keep them from angry tongues. 21 May the Lord be praised, because he has made clear to me the wonder of his grace in a strong town. 22 And as for me, I said in my fear, I am cut off from before your eyes; but you gave ear to the voice of my prayer, when my cry went up to you. 23 O have love for the Lord, all you his saints; for the Lord keeps safe from danger all those who are true to him, and gives the workers of pride their right reward. 24 Put away fear and let your heart be strong, all you whose hope is in the Lord.

Cross references (24)

Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.

  1. 1 Romans 10:11; Psalm 25:2; Psalm 71:1–3; Psalm 22:4–5; Psalm 143:1
  2. 2 Psalm 71:2–3; Psalm 102:2; Psalm 86:1; Deuteronomy 32:31; 1 John 4:15–16
  3. 3 Psalm 143:10–11; Isaiah 49:10; Psalm 25:5; John 16:13; Luke 1:79
  4. 4 Psalm 25:15; Psalm 140:5; Psalm 19:14; 2 Timothy 2:26; Psalm 57:6
  5. 5 Luke 23:46; Acts 7:59; Deuteronomy 32:4; Psalm 71:23; 1 Peter 1:18–19
  6. 6 Psalm 26:5; Jonah 2:8; Jeremiah 10:15; 1 Corinthians 10:20; Psalm 24:4
  7. 7 Isaiah 49:13; Isaiah 63:9; Psalm 119:153; 2 Timothy 2:19; Galatians 4:9
  8. 8 Job 36:16; Psalm 18:19; Psalm 4:1; Deuteronomy 32:30; 1 Samuel 17:46
  9. 9 Psalm 6:7; Psalm 88:9; Psalm 73:26; Job 17:7; Psalm 73:14
  10. 10 Psalm 32:3–4; Psalm 38:3; Psalm 88:15; Romans 9:2; Psalm 78:33
  11. 11 Psalm 38:11; Psalm 88:8; Matthew 26:56; Psalm 88:18; Psalm 41:8–9
  12. 12 Psalm 88:4–5; Psalm 119:83; Romans 9:21–22; Isaiah 30:14; Psalm 2:9
  13. 13 Jeremiah 20:10; Matthew 27:1; Lamentations 2:22; 1 Samuel 20:33; Psalm 101:5
  14. 14 Psalm 56:3–4; Psalm 18:2; Psalm 43:5; Psalm 16:1–2; Psalm 140:6
  15. 15 Acts 1:7; John 17:1; Ecclesiastes 3:1–8; John 7:6; Psalm 142:6
  16. 16 Psalm 4:6; Psalm 6:4; Psalm 80:3; Daniel 9:9; Romans 9:15
  17. 17 Psalm 25:2–3; Jeremiah 20:11; Psalm 115:17; Psalm 34:5; Isaiah 41:11–12
  18. 18 Jude 15; Psalm 94:4; 1 Samuel 2:3; Isaiah 54:17; Psalm 64:3–4
  19. 19 1 Corinthians 2:9; Isaiah 64:4; Lamentations 3:23–25; 1 Peter 1:4–5; Colossians 3:2–4
  20. 20 Psalm 27:5; Psalm 32:7; Psalm 91:1–4; Job 5:21; Psalm 64:2–4
  21. 21 1 Samuel 23:7–13; Psalm 17:7; Jeremiah 1:18; 1 Peter 2:9; Psalm 118:23
  22. 22 Psalm 116:11; Hebrews 5:7; Psalm 6:9; Psalm 88:16; Ezekiel 37:11
  23. 23 Psalm 97:10; Psalm 94:2; Psalm 145:20; John 10:27–30; Psalm 34:9
  24. 24 Psalm 27:14; Psalm 146:5; Isaiah 35:3–4; Colossians 1:11; Psalm 29:11

Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences

What the Fathers said

Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).

How these were chosen

“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).

  1. Commentary Augustine of Hippo, Expositions on the Psalms (Psalm XXX)

    To the end, a Psalm of the joy of the Resurrection, and the change, the renewing of the body to an immortal state, and not only of the Lord, but also of the whole Church.

    Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 8 (1888)

  2. Quotes verse 31:6 Augustine of Hippo, Confessions (Book VIII)

    But the Lord God was the hope of Thy servant, and He regarded not vanities and lying madness.

    Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 1 (1886)

  3. Quotes verse 31:19 Augustine of Hippo, The City of God (Book XXI, Chapters 17–19)

    However, they think that the divine oracles are not altogether silent on this point; for they ask to what purpose is it said, "How great is Thy goodness which Thou hast hidden for them that fear Thee," if it be not to teach us that the great and hidden sweetness of God's mercy is concealed in order that men may …

    Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)

  4. Quotes verse 31:19 Augustine of Hippo, The City of God (Book XXI, Chapters 22–24)

    But that these perversely compassionate persons may see what is the purport of these words, "How great is the abundance of Thy sweetness, Lord, which Thou hast hidden for them that fear Thee," let them read what follows: "And Thou hast perfected it for them that hope in Thee." For what means, "Thou hast hidden it for them that fear …

    Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)