Psalms 69
1 Save me, O God, for the waters have come in to my soul.
For the music director. To the tune “Lilies.” A psalm of David. God, please save me, because the water is up to my neck!
2 I sink in deep mire where there is no standing. I have come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me.
I'm sinking deeper into the mud—there's no solid ground for me to stand. I find myself in deep water; floods wash over me.
3 I am weary with my crying. My throat is dried. My eyes fail while I wait for my God.
I'm so tired of screaming out for help my throat is totally raw. My eyes are worn out looking for my God to help me.
4 Those who hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of my head. Those who would cut me off, being my enemies wrongfully, are mighty. That which I took not away I have to restore.
Those who hate me for no reason are more than the number of hairs on my head. Many enemies try to destroy me by telling lies. How can I give back what I didn't steal?
5 O God, thou know my foolishness, and my sins are not hid from thee.
God, you know how foolish I am! My sins are not hidden from you.
6 Let not those who wait for thee be put to shame through me, O lord Jehovah of hosts. Let not those who seek thee be brought to dishonor through me, O God of Israel.
Don't let those who trust you be ashamed because of me, Lord God Almighty. Don't let those who follow you be disgraced because of me, God of Israel.
7 Because for thy sake I have borne reproach, shame has covered my face.
For your sake I put up with the insults; my face shows my embarrassment.
8 I have become a stranger to my brothers, and an alien to my mother's sons.
I have become a foreigner to my brother Israelites; a stranger to my very own brothers.
9 For the zeal of thy house has eaten me up, and the reproaches of those who reproach thee have fallen upon me.
My devotion for your house is burning me up inside; the insults of those who insulted you have fallen on me.
10 When I wept in my soul with fasting, that was to my reproach.
I wept and I fasted, but they mocked me;
11 When I made sackcloth my clothing, I became a byword to them.
I mourned in sackcloth, but they laughed at me.
12 Those who sit in the gate talk of me, and I am the song of the drunkards.
People sitting by the town gate gossip about me. I'm the subject of rude songs sung by drunks.
13 But as for me, my prayer is to thee, O Jehovah. In an acceptable time, O God, in the abundance of thy loving kindness, answer me in the truth of thy salvation.
But my prayer is to you, Lord, believing this is a good time to respond to me. God, in your wonderful trustworthy love, answer me with your sure salvation.
14 Deliver me out of the mire, and let me not sink. Let me be delivered from those who hate me, and out of the deep waters.
Please rescue me from the mud—don't let me sink! Save me from those who hate me and from drowning in the deep waters!
15 Let not the water flood overwhelm me, nor let the deep swallow me up. And let not the pit shut its mouth upon me.
Don't let the flood waters wash over me. Don't let the deep waters pull me down. Don't let the grave close over me.
16 Answer me, O Jehovah, for thy loving kindness is good. According to the multitude of thy tender mercies turn thou to me,
Please answer my prayers, Lord, for you are good and love me with your trustworthy love; because of your kindness, please help me.
17 and hide not thy face from thy servant, for I am in distress. Answer me speedily.
Don't turn away from me, your servant. Please answer me quickly because I'm in trouble.
18 Draw near to my soul, and redeem it. Ransom me because of my enemies.
Come here and rescue me; set me free from my enemies.
19 Thou know my reproach, and my shame, and my dishonor. My adversaries are all before thee.
You—you know my shame, my disgrace, my humiliation. You see everything my enemies are doing.
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.
Insults have broken my heart—I am so sick there is no cure. I looked for some sympathy, but there was no one! Nobody showed me any compassion.
21 They also gave me gall for my food, and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.
Instead they gave me bitter herbs to eat and vinegar to drink.
22 Let their table before them become a snare, and when they are in peace, a trap, and for a stumbling block, and for a retribution to them.
May the table set before them become a trap for them, a net that catches them, bringing punishment.
23 Let their eyes be darkened, so that they cannot see, and bow down their back continually.
May their eyes become blind so they cannot see, and may their backs always be bent low in dejection.
24 Pour out thine indignation upon them, and let the fierceness of thine anger overtake them.
Pour out your judgment on them; chase them down in your fierce anger.
25 Let their habitation be desolate. Let none dwell in their tents.
Let the places where they live be deserted. Let their homes be abandoned.
26 For they persecute him whom thou have smitten, and they tell of the sorrow of those whom thou have wounded.
For they persecute those you have punished, and make it even more painful for those you have disciplined.
27 Add iniquity to their iniquity, and let them not come into thy righteousness.
Punish them for the evil they have done. Don't acquit them.
28 Let them be blotted out of the book of life, and not be written with the righteous.
Blot out their names from the Book of Life. Don't let them be listed with those who do right.
29 But I am poor and sorrowful. Let thy salvation, O God, set me up on high.
But I am suffering and in physical pain. God, please save me and keep me safe.
30 I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving,
I will praise God's character in song; I will say how incredible he is and how thankful I am.
31 and it will please Jehovah better than an ox, or a bullock that has horns and hoofs.
The Lord is happier with this than with offering animals as sacrifices: cattle, or bulls with horns and hooves.
32 The meek have seen it, and are glad. Ye who seek after God, let your heart live.
The humble will see this and be happy. May God encourage everyone who comes to him.
33 For Jehovah hears the needy, and does not despise his prisoners.
God hears the poor, and he does not ignore his people who are in prison.
34 Let heaven and earth praise him, the seas, and everything that moves therein.
Praise him heaven and earth, the seas and everything that lives in them!
35 For God will save Zion, and build the cities of Judah. And they shall abide there, and have it in possession.
For God will save Zion, and rebuild the cities of Judah. They will live there and own the land.
36 The seed also of his servants shall inherit it, and those who love his name shall dwell therein.
The descendants of those who follow him will inherit the land, and those who love him will live there.
