For this, let everyone who is godly pray to you in a time when you may be found. Surely when the great waters overflow, they shall not reach to him.
Parallel translations
- KJV For this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found: surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him.
- BSB Therefore let all the godly pray to You while You may be found. Surely when great waters rise, they will not come near.
- NKJV For this cause everyone who is godly shall pray to You In a time when You may be found; Surely in a flood of great waters They shall not come near him.
- NASB Therefore, let everyone who is godly pray to You in a time when You may be found; Certainly in a flood of great waters, they will not reach him.
- NLT Therefore, let all the godly pray to you while there is still time, that they may not drown in the floodwaters of judgment.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Because God forgives, every godly person should pray to him while he may be found, confident of safety in the flood of trouble.
Overview
Having just celebrated the blessedness of forgiveness, David urges others to seek God in prayer while there is opportunity. The image of overflowing waters not reaching the one who hides in God pictures security amid life's overwhelming dangers. This anticipates the gospel call to come to God now through Christ, the one in whom believers are kept safe.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 23
- Isa 55:6Seek Yahweh while he may be found. Call on him while he is near.
- Isa 43:2When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned, and flame will not scorch you.
- 2 Cor 6:2for he says, “At an acceptable time I listened to you, in a day of salvation I helped you.” Behold, now is the acceptable time. Behold, now is the day of salvation.
- Prov 1:28Then will they call on me, but I will not answer. They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me;
- Ps 34:2–5My soul shall boast in Yahweh. The humble shall hear of it, and be glad.
- Ps 4:3But know that Yahweh has set apart for himself him who is godly: Yahweh will hear when I call to him.
- Matt 7:24–27“Everyone therefore who hears these words of mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man, who built his house on a rock.
- John 7:34You will seek me, and won’t find me; and where I am, you can’t come.”
- Ps 40:3He has put a new song in my mouth, even praise to our God. Many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in Yahweh.
- Ps 42:7Deep calls to deep at the noise of your waterfalls. All your waves and your billows have swept over me.
- Ps 69:13–15But as for me, my prayer is to you, Yahweh, in an acceptable time. God, in the abundance of your loving kindness, answer me in the truth of your salvation.
- Ps 144:7Stretch out your hand from above, rescue me, and deliver me out of great waters, out of the hands of foreigners;
- Ps 124:4–5then the waters would have overwhelmed us, the stream would have gone over our soul;
- Titus 2:12instructing us to the intent that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we would live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world;
- Gen 7:17–22The flood was forty days on the earth. The waters increased, and lifted up the ship, and it was lifted up above the earth.
- Luke 19:42–44saying, “If you, even you, had known today the things which belong to your peace! But now, they are hidden from your eyes.
- 2 Cor 1:4who comforts us in all our affliction, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, through the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
- 2 Cor 7:9–10I now rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that you were made sorry to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly way, that you might suffer loss by us in nothing.
- Isa 49:8Yahweh says, “In an acceptable time I have answered you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you. I will preserve you, and give you for a covenant of the people, to raise up the land, to make them inherit the desolate heritage:
- Ps 51:12–13Restore to me the joy of your salvation. Uphold me with a willing spirit.
- Ps 69:1–2For the Chief Musician. To the tune of “Lilies.” By David. Save me, God, for the waters have come up to my neck!
- Rev 12:15–16The serpent spewed water out of his mouth after the woman like a river, that he might cause her to be carried away by the stream.
- 1 Tim 1:16However, for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first, Jesus Christ might display all his patience, for an example of those who were going to believe in him for eternal life.
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Christ at the center
The Psalms are Christ's own prayer book and a gallery of his portraits — the suffering one of Psalm 22, the risen Lord of Psalm 16, the priest-king of Psalm 110, the Son to whom the nations are given.
How Psalms 32:6 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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