Psalms 69

1 For the leader. On shoshannim. Of David. Save me, O God; for the waters are threatening my life.

For the chief musician; set to Shoshannim. A psalm of David. Save me, God; for the waters have put my life in danger.

2 I am sunk in depths of mire, where ground there is none. I am come into deep deep waters, the flood overwhelms me.

I sink in deep mire, where there is no place to stand; I have come into deep waters, where the floods flow over me.

3 I am weary of crying, my throat is parched, my eyes are wasted with waiting for God.

I am weary with my crying; my throat is dry; my eyes fail while I wait for my God.

4 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?

Those who hate me without a cause are more than the hairs on my head; those who would cut me off, being my enemies for wrong reasons, are mighty; what I did not steal, I have to give back.

5 O God, you know my folly, my guilt is not hidden from you.

God, you know my foolishness, and my sins are not hidden from you.

6 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.

Let not those who hope in you be put to shame because of me, Lord Yahweh of hosts; let not those who seek you be brought to dishonor because of me, God of Israel.

7 It’s in your cause that I have borne taunts, and my face has been covered with shame;

For your sake I have borne rebuke; shame has covered my face.

8 I became to my kindred a foreigner, to my mother’s sons a stranger.

I have become a stranger to my brothers, an alien to my mother's children.

9 It was zeal for your house that consumed me, and the insults they hurled at you fell upon me.

For the zeal of your house has eaten me up, and the rebukes of those who rebuke you have fallen on me.

10 When I chastened myself with fasting, they took occasion to taunt me.

When I wept and did not eat food, they insulted me.

11 When I put on a garment of sackcloth, they made me the theme of a taunt-song.

When I made sackcloth my clothing, I became the object of a proverb to them.

12 Those who sit in the gate make sport of me in the music of drunken songs.

Those who sit in the city gate talk about me; I am a song of drunkards.

13 But I pray to you, Lord, for a time of favour. In your great love answer me; with your loyal help, save me

But as for me, my prayer is to you, Yahweh, at a time that you will accept; answer me in the trustworthiness of your salvation.

14 from sinking down in the mire. Lift me out of the deep deep waters,

Pull me out of the mire, and do not let me sink; let me be taken away from those who hate me and rescued out of the deep waters.

15 that the rushing flood may not drown me, that the deep may not swallow me up, nor the pit close her mouth upon me.

Do not let the floods of water overwhelm me, neither let the deep swallow me up. Do not let the pit shut its mouth on me.

16 Answer me, Lord, in your gracious kindness, turn to me in your great compassion.

Answer me, Yahweh, for your covenant faithfulness is good; because your mercies for me are many, turn to me.

17 Hide not your face from your servant, for I am in trouble; O answer me speedily.

Do not hide your face from your servant, for I am in distress; answer me quickly.

18 Draw near to me, redeem me; because of my enemies, ransom me.

Come to me and redeem me. Because of my enemies, ransom me.

19 You know how I am insulted; in your sight are all my foes.

You know my rebuke, my shame, and my dishonor; my adversaries are all before you.

20 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.

Rebuke has broken my heart; I am full of heaviness; I looked for someone to take pity, but there was none; I looked for comforters, but I found none.

21 Poison they gave me for food, and to slake my thirst they gave vinegar.

They gave me poison for my food; in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.

22 May their table, outspread, be a trap to them, and their peace-offerings be a snare.

Let their table before them become a snare; when they think they are in safety, let it become a trap.

23 May their eyes be darkened and blind, make them shake without ceasing.

Let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see; and always make their loins shake.

24 Pour your indignation upon them, let your burning wrath overtake them.

Pour out your indignation on them, and let the fierceness of your anger overtake them.

25 May their camp be a desolation, in their tents be there none to live.

Let their place be a desolation; let no one live in their tents.

26 For those whom you struck, they persecute, and those whom you wounded, they pain yet more.

For they persecuted the one you struck down. They repeated the account of the pain of those you have wounded.

27 Charge them with sin upon sin, may they not be acquitted by you.

Accuse them of having committed iniquity after iniquity; do not let them come into your righteous victory.

28 From the book of life be they blotted, may their names not be written with the righteous.

Let them be blotted out of the Book of Life and not be written down along with the righteous.

29 Lift me, O God, by your help above my pain and misery.

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

30 Then will I praise God in song and magnify him with thanksgiving,

I will praise the name of God with a song and will exalt him with thanksgiving.

31 which shall please the Lord better than ox, or than bullock with horns and hoofs.

That will please Yahweh better than an ox or a bull that has horns and hooves.

32 The oppressed shall rejoice at the sight. You who seek after God, let your heart revive.

The meek have seen it and are glad; you who seek after God, let your hearts live.

33 For the Lord listens to the poor, he does not despise his prisoners.

For Yahweh hears the needy and does not despise his prisoners.

34 Let the heavens and the earth sing his praises, the seas, and all creatures that move in them.

Let heaven and earth praise him, the seas and everything that moves in them.

35 For God will bring help to Zion, and build up the cities of Judah, his people shall live there in possession.

For God will save Zion and will rebuild the cities of Judah; the people will live there and have it as a possession.

36 His servants’ children shall have it for heritage, and those who love him shall live therein.

His servants' descendants will inherit it; and those who love his name will live there.