Mazmur 71:9-18

71:9 Do not reject me in my old age! ¹ 

When my strength fails, do not abandon me!

71:10 For my enemies talk about me;

those waiting for a chance to kill me plot my demise. ² 

71:11 They say, ³  “God has abandoned him.

Run and seize him, for there is no one who will rescue him!”

71:12 O God, do not remain far away from me!

My God, hurry and help me! ⁴ 

71:13 May my accusers be humiliated and defeated!

May those who want to harm me ⁵  be covered with scorn and disgrace!

71:14 As for me, I will wait continually,

and will continue to praise you. ⁶ 

71:15 I will tell about your justice,

and all day long proclaim your salvation, ⁷ 

though I cannot fathom its full extent. ⁸ 

71:16 I will come and tell about ⁹  the mighty acts of the sovereign Lord.

I will proclaim your justice – yours alone.

71:17 O God, you have taught me since I was young,

and I am still declaring ¹⁰  your amazing deeds.

71:18 Even when I am old and gray, ¹¹ 

O God, do not abandon me,

until I tell the next generation about your strength,

and those coming after me about your power. ¹² 

[71:9]  ¹ tn Heb “do not cast me away at the time of old age.”

[71:10]  ² tn Heb “those who watch for my life consult together.”

[71:11]  ³ tn Heb “saying.”

[71:12]  ⁴ tn Heb “hurry to my help.”

[71:13]  ⁵ tn Heb “those who seek my harm.”

[71:14]  ⁶ tn Heb “and I add to all your praise.”

[71:15]  ⁷ tn Heb “my mouth declares your vindication, all the day your deliverance.”

[71:15]  ⁸ tn Heb “though I do not know [the] numbers,” that is, the tally of God’s just and saving acts. HALOT 768 s.v. סְפֹרוֹת understands the plural noun to mean “the art of writing.”

[71:16]  ⁹ tn Heb “I will come with.”

[71:17]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “and until now I am declaring.”

[71:18]  ¹¹ tn Heb “and even unto old age and gray hair.”

[71:18]  ¹² tn Heb “until I declare your arm to a generation, to everyone who comes your power.” God’s “arm” here is an anthropomorphism that symbolizes his great strength.