Psalm 30
1A psalm. A song for the dedication of the Temple.* Of David.
I
2I praise you, LORD, for you raised me up
and did not let my enemies rejoice over me.
3O LORD, my God,
I cried out to you for help and you healed* me.
4LORD, you brought my soul up from Sheol;
you let me live, from going down to the pit.*a
II
5Sing praise to the LORD, you faithful;
give thanks to his holy memory.
6For his anger lasts but a moment;
his favor a lifetime.
At dusk weeping comes for the night;
but at dawn there is rejoicing.
III
7Complacent,* I once said,
"I shall never be shaken."
8LORD, you showed me favor,
established for me mountains of virtue.
But when you hid your face
I was struck with terror.b
9To you, LORD, I cried out;
with the Lord I pleaded for mercy:
10*"What gain is there from my lifeblood,
from my going down to the grave?
Does dust give you thanks
or declare your faithfulness?
11Hear, O LORD, have mercy on me;
LORD, be my helper."
IV
12You changed my mourning into dancing;
you took off my sackcloth
and clothed me with gladness.c
13So that my glory may praise you
and not be silent.
O LORD, my God,
forever will I give you thanks.
* [Psalm 30] An individual thanksgiving in four parts: praise and thanks for deliverance and restoration (Ps 30:2–4); an invitation to others to join in (Ps 30:5–6); a flashback to the time before deliverance (Ps 30:7–11); a return to praise and thanks (Ps 30:12). Two sets of images recur: 1) going down, death, silence; 2) coming up, life, praising. God has delivered the psalmist from one state to the other.