A prayer for old age

1In You, O LORD, do I put my trust; let me never be disgraced. 2Deliver me in Your righteousness, and provide me a means of escape; incline Your ear to me, and save me. 3May You be my strong refuge, to which I may continually resort. Give Your command to save me; for You are my Rock and my Fortress.

4Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, unrighteous and cruel man. 5For You are my hope, O LORD God; I have trusted in You from my youth. 6I have been held up by You from my birth; You are He Who took me out of my mother; my praise shall always be of You. 7I have been an example to many, because You are my strength and protection. 8Let my mouth be filled with Your praise as I honor You all the day.

9Do not abandon me in my old age; nor forsake me when my strength fails. 10For my enemies lay wait for my soul and take counsel together, 11Saying, “God has finally forsaken him; pursue and seize him; for there is none to rescue him.” 12O God, stay close to me; O my God, come quickly to help me. 13Let those that are adversaries to my soul be frustrated and confounded; let those that seek my harm be humiliated and embarrassed. 14But as for me, I will hope continually, and will yet praise You more and more. 15I shall tell of Your righteousness and Your salvation all the day; for I do not know their full measure. 16I will go in Your strength; I will proclaim Your righteous deeds, and Yours only. 17O God, You have taught me from my youth; and to this day I have declared Your wondrous works. 18Now when I am old and gray-headed, O God, do not forsake me; until I have proclaimed Your strength to this new generation, and Your power to all that are to come. 19Your righteousness also, O God, reaches to the heavens; You, Who have done such great things. O God, who is like You? 20You, Who has shown me great and bitter troubles, shall revive me, and raise me again from the depths of the earth. 21You shall increase my honor, and comfort me once again. 22I will also praise You and Your truth, O my God; unto You will I sing with the harp, O Holy One of Israel. 23My lips, and my soul, which You have redeemed, shall greatly rejoice when I sing unto You. 24My tongue also shall speak of Your righteousness all the day long; for they that seek my hurt are astounded, confounded, and brought to shame.