Mazmur 71:12-18

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

My God, hurry and help me! ¹ 

71:13 May my accusers be humiliated and defeated!

May those who want to harm me ²  be covered with scorn and disgrace!

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

and will continue to praise you. ³ 

71:15 I will tell about your justice,

and all day long proclaim your salvation, ⁴ 

though I cannot fathom its full extent. ⁵ 

71:16 I will come and tell about ⁶  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 ⁷  your amazing deeds.

71:18 Even when I am old and gray, ⁸ 

O God, do not abandon me,

until I tell the next generation about your strength,

and those coming after me about your power. ⁹ 

[71:12]  ¹ tn Heb “hurry to my help.”

[71:13]  ² tn Heb “those who seek my harm.”

[71:14]  ³ tn Heb “and I add to all your praise.”

[71:15]  ⁴ tn Heb “my mouth declares your vindication, all the day your deliverance.”

[71:15]  ⁵ 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]  ⁶ tn Heb “I will come with.”

[71:17]  ⁷ tn Heb “and until now I am declaring.”

[71:18]  ⁸ tn Heb “and even unto old age and gray hair.”

[71:18]  ⁹ 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.