Psalms 69

1 Save me, O God; for the waters are come in to my soul.

To the chief music-maker; put to Shoshannim. Of David. Be my saviour, O God; because the waters have come in, even to my neck.

2 I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing: I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me.

My feet are deep in the soft earth, where there is no support; I have come into deep waters, the waves are flowing over me.

3 I am weary of my crying: my throat is dried: my eyes fail while I wait for my God.

I am tired with my crying; my throat is burning: my eyes are wasted with waiting for my God.

4 They that hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of my head: they that would destroy me, being my enemies wrongfully, are mighty: then I restored that which I took not away.

Those who have hate for me without cause are greater in number than the hairs of my head; those who are against me, falsely desiring my destruction, are very strong; I gave back what I had not taken away.

5 O God, you know my foolishness; and my sins are not hid from you.

O God, you see how foolish I am; and my wrongdoing is clear to you.

6 Let not them that wait on you, O Lord GOD of hosts, be ashamed for my sake: let not those that seek you be confounded for my sake, O God of Israel.

Let not those who have hope in you be put to shame because of me, O Lord God of armies: let not those who are waiting for you be made low because of me, O God of Israel.

7 Because for your sake I have borne reproach; shame has covered my face.

I have been wounded with sharp words because of you; my face has been covered with shame.

8 I am become a stranger to my brothers, and an alien to my mother’s children.

I have become strange to my brothers, and like a man from a far country to my mother's children.

9 For the zeal of your house has eaten me up; and the reproaches of them that reproached you are fallen on me.

I am on fire with passion for your house; and the hard things which are said about you have come on me.

10 When I wept, and chastened my soul with fasting, that was to my reproach.

My bitter weeping, and my going without food, were turned to my shame.

11 I made sackcloth also my garment; and I became a proverb to them.

When I put on the clothing of grief, they said evil of me.

12 They that sit in the gate speak against me; and I was the song of the drunkards.

I am a cause of wonder to those in authority; a song to those who are given to strong drink.

13 But as for me, my prayer is to you, O LORD, in an acceptable time: O God, in the multitude of your mercy hear me, in the truth of your salvation.

But as for me, let my prayer be made to you, O Lord, at a time when you are pleased; O God, give me an answer in your great mercy, for your salvation is certain.

14 Deliver me out of the mire, and let me not sink: let me be delivered from them that hate me, and out of the deep waters.

Take me from the grip of the sticky earth, so that I may not go down into it; let me be lifted up from the deep waters.

15 Let not the flood overflow me, neither let the deep swallow me up, and let not the pit shut her mouth on me.

Let me not be covered by the flowing waters; let not the deep waters go over my head, and let me not be shut up in the underworld.

16 Hear me, O LORD; for your loving kindness is good: turn to me according to the multitude of your tender mercies.

Give an answer to my words, O Lord; for your mercy is good: be turned to me, because of your great pity.

17 And hide not your face from your servant; for I am in trouble: hear me speedily.

Let not your face be covered from your servant, for I am in trouble; quickly give me an answer.

18 Draw near to my soul, and redeem it: deliver me because of my enemies.

Come near to my soul, for its salvation: be my saviour, because of those who are against me.

19 You have known my reproach, and my shame, and my dishonor: my adversaries are all before you.

You have seen my shame, how I was laughed at and made low; my haters are all before you.

20 Reproach has broken my heart; and I am full of heaviness: and I looked for some to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none.

My heart is broken by bitter words, I am full of grief; I made a search for some to have pity on me, but there was no one; I had no comforter.

21 They gave me also gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.

They gave me poison for my food; and bitter wine for my drink.

22 Let their table become a snare before them: and that which should have been for their welfare, let it become a trap.

Let their table before them be for their destruction; let their feasts become a net to take them.

23 Let their eyes be darkened, that they see not; and make their loins continually to shake.

Let their eyes be blind so that they may not see; let their bodies for ever be shaking.

24 Pour out your indignation on them, and let your wrathful anger take hold of them.

Let your curse come on them; let the heat of your wrath overtake them.

25 Let their habitation be desolate; and let none dwell in their tents.

Give their houses to destruction, and let there be no one in their tents.

26 For they persecute him whom you have smitten; and they talk to the grief of those whom you have wounded.

Because they are cruel to him against whom your hand is turned; they make bitter the grief of him who is wounded by you.

27 Add iniquity to their iniquity: and let them not come into your righteousness.

Let their punishment be increased; let them not come into your righteousness.

28 Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous.

Let their names be taken from the book of the living, let them not be numbered with the upright.

29 But I am poor and sorrowful: let your salvation, O God, set me up on high.

But I am poor and full of sorrow; let me be lifted up by your salvation, O Lord.

30 I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving.

I will give praise to the name of God with a song; I will give glory to him for what he has done.

31 This also shall please the LORD better than an ox or bullock that has horns and hoofs.

This will be more pleasing to the Lord than an ox, or a young ox of full growth.

32 The humble shall see this, and be glad: and your heart shall live that seek God.

The poor will see it and be glad: you who are lovers of God, let your hearts have life.

33 For the LORD hears the poor, and despises not his prisoners.

For the ears of the Lord are open to the poor, and he takes thought for his prisoners.

34 Let the heaven and earth praise him, the seas, and every thing that moves therein.

Let the heavens and the earth give praise to him, the seas, and everything moving in them.

35 For God will save Zion, and will build the cities of Judah: that they may dwell there, and have it in possession.

For God will be the saviour of Zion, and the builder of the towns of Judah; so that it may be their resting-place and heritage.

36 The seed also of his servants shall inherit it: and they that love his name shall dwell therein.

The seed of his servants will have their part in it, and there the lovers of his name will have rest.