Psalms 69
1 For the Chief Musician. To the tune of “Lilies.” By David. Save me, God, for the waters have come up to my neck!
For the leader. On shoshannim. Of David. Save me, O God; for the waters are threatening my life.
2 I sink in deep mire, where there is no foothold. I have come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me.
I am sunk in depths of mire, where ground there is none. I am come into deep deep waters, the flood overwhelms me.
3 I am weary with my crying. My throat is dry. My eyes fail looking for my God.
I am weary of crying, my throat is parched, my eyes are wasted with waiting for God.
4 Those who hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of my head. Those who want to cut me off, being my enemies wrongfully, are mighty. I have to restore what I didn’t take away.
More than the hairs of my head are those who wantonly hate me. More than my bones in number are those who are falsely my foes. That which I never robbed, how am I then to restore?
5 God, you know my foolishness. My sins aren’t hidden from you.
O God, you know my folly, my guilt is not hidden from you.
6 Don’t let those who wait for you be shamed through me, Lord Yahweh of Armies. Don’t let those who seek you be brought to dishonor through me, God of Israel.
Through me let not any be shamed, who wait for you, Lord God of hosts. Through me let not those be confounded who seek you, O God of Israel.
7 Because for your sake, I have borne reproach. Shame has covered my face.
It’s in your cause that I have borne taunts, and my face has been covered with shame;
8 I have become a stranger to my brothers, an alien to my mother’s children.
I became to my kindred a foreigner, to my mother’s sons a stranger.
9 For the zeal of your house consumes me. The reproaches of those who reproach you have fallen on me.
It was zeal for your house that consumed me, and the insults they hurled at you fell upon me.
10 When I wept and I fasted, that was to my reproach.
When I chastened myself with fasting, they took occasion to taunt me.
11 When I made sackcloth my clothing, I became a byword to them.
When I put on a garment of sackcloth, they made me the theme of a taunt-song.
12 Those who sit in the gate talk about me. I am the song of the drunkards.
Those who sit in the gate make sport of me in the music of drunken songs.
13 But 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.
But I pray to you, Lord, for a time of favour. In your great love answer me; with your loyal help, save me
14 Deliver me out of the mire, and don’t let me sink. Let me be delivered from those who hate me, and out of the deep waters.
from sinking down in the mire. Lift me out of the deep deep waters,
15 Don’t let the flood waters overwhelm me, neither let the deep swallow me up. Don’t let the pit shut its mouth on me.
that the rushing flood may not drown me, that the deep may not swallow me up, nor the pit close her mouth upon me.
16 Answer me, Yahweh, for your loving kindness is good. According to the multitude of your tender mercies, turn to me.
Answer me, Lord, in your gracious kindness, turn to me in your great compassion.
17 Don’t hide your face from your servant, for I am in distress. Answer me speedily!
Hide not your face from your servant, for I am in trouble; O answer me speedily.
18 Draw near to my soul and redeem it. Ransom me because of my enemies.
Draw near to me, redeem me; because of my enemies, ransom me.
19 You know my reproach, my shame, and my dishonor. My adversaries are all before you.
You know how I am insulted; in your sight are all my foes.
20 Reproach has broken my heart, and I am full of heaviness. I looked for some to take pity, but there was none; for comforters, but I found none.
Insult has broken my heart, past cure are my shame and confusion. For pity I looked – there was none! And for comforters, but I found none.
21 They also gave me poison for my food. In my thirst, they gave me vinegar to drink.
Poison they gave me for food, and to slake my thirst they gave vinegar.
22 Let their table before them become a snare. May it become a retribution and a trap.
May their table, outspread, be a trap to them, and their peace-offerings be a snare.
23 Let their eyes be darkened, so that they can’t see. Let their backs be continually bent.
May their eyes be darkened and blind, make them shake without ceasing.
24 Pour out your indignation on them. Let the fierceness of your anger overtake them.
Pour your indignation upon them, let your burning wrath overtake them.
25 Let their habitation be desolate. Let no one dwell in their tents.
May their camp be a desolation, in their tents be there none to live.
26 For they persecute him whom you have wounded. They tell of the sorrow of those whom you have hurt.
For those whom you struck, they persecute, and those whom you wounded, they pain yet more.
27 Charge them with crime upon crime. Don’t let them come into your righteousness.
Charge them with sin upon sin, may they not be acquitted by you.
28 Let them be blotted out of the book of life, and not be written with the righteous.
From the book of life be they blotted, may their names not be written with the righteous.
29 But I am in pain and distress. Let your salvation, God, protect me.
Lift me, O God, by your help above my pain and misery.
30 I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving.
Then will I praise God in song and magnify him with thanksgiving,
31 It will please Yahweh better than an ox, or a bull that has horns and hoofs.
which shall please the Lord better than ox, or than bullock with horns and hoofs.
32 The humble have seen it, and are glad. You who seek after God, let your heart live.
The oppressed shall rejoice at the sight. You who seek after God, let your heart revive.
33 For Yahweh hears the needy, and doesn’t despise his captive people.
For the Lord listens to the poor, he does not despise his prisoners.
34 Let heaven and earth praise him; the seas, and everything that moves therein!
Let the heavens and the earth sing his praises, the seas, and all creatures that move in them.
35 For God will save Zion, and build the cities of Judah. They shall settle there, and own it.
For God will bring help to Zion, and build up the cities of Judah, his people shall live there in possession.
36 The children also of his servants shall inherit it. Those who love his name shall dwell therein.
His servants’ children shall have it for heritage, and those who love him shall live therein.
