Psalms 69
1 Unto the end, for them that shall be changed; for David. SAVE me, O God: for the waters are come in even unto my soul.
For the leader. On shoshannim. Of David. Save me, O God; for the waters are threatening my life.
2 I stick fast in the mire of the deep: and there is no sure standing. I am come into the depth of the sea: and a tempest hath overwhelmed 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 have laboured with crying; my jaws are become hoarse: my eyes have failed, whilst I hope in my God.
I am weary of crying, my throat is parched, my eyes are wasted with waiting for God.
4 They are multiplied above the hairs of my head, who hate me without cause. My enemies are grown strong who have wrongfully persecuted me: then did I pay that which I took not 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 O God, thou knowest my foolishness; and my offences are not hidden from thee:
O God, you know my folly, my guilt is not hidden from you.
6 Let not them be ashamed for me, who look for thee, O Lord, the Lord of hosts. Let them not be confounded on my account, who seek thee, O 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 thy sake I have borne reproach; shame hath covered my face.
It’s in your cause that I have borne taunts, and my face has been covered with shame;
8 I am become a stranger to my brethren, and an alien to the sons of my mother.
I became to my kindred a foreigner, to my mother’s sons a stranger.
9 For the zeal of thy house hath eaten me up: and the reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me.
It was zeal for your house that consumed me, and the insults they hurled at you fell upon me.
10 And I covered my soul in fasting: and it was made a reproach to me.
When I chastened myself with fasting, they took occasion to taunt me.
11 And I made haircloth my garment: and I became a byword to them.
When I put on a garment of sackcloth, they made me the theme of a taunt-song.
12 They that sat in the gate spoke against me: and they that drank wine made me their song.
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 thee, O Lord; for the time of thy good pleasure, O God. In the multitude of thy mercy hear me, in the truth of thy salvation.
But I pray to you, Lord, for a time of favor. In your great love answer me; with your loyal help, save me
14 Draw me out of the mire, that I may not stick fast: deliver me from them that hate me, and out of the deep waters.
from sinking down in the mire. Lift me out of the deep deep waters,
15 Let not the tempest of water drown me, nor the deep swallow me up: and let not the pit shut her mouth upon 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 Hear me, O Lord, for thy mercy is kind; look upon me according to the multitude of thy tender mercies.
Answer me, Lord, in your gracious kindness, turn to me in your great compassion.
17 And turn not away thy face from thy servant: for I am in trouble, hear me speedily.
Hide not your face from your servant, for I am in trouble; O answer me speedily.
18 Attend to my soul, and deliver it: save me because of my enemies.
Draw near to me, redeem me; because of my enemies, ransom me.
19 Thou knowest my reproach, and my confusion, and my shame.
You know how I am insulted; in your sight are all my foes.
20 In thy sight are all they that afflict me; my heart hath expected reproach and misery. And I looked for one that would grieve together with me, but there was none: and for one that would comfort me, and 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 And they gave me gall for my food, and 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 become as a snare before them, and a recompense, and a stumblingblock.
May their table, outspread, be a trap to them, and their peace-offerings be a snare.
23 Let their eyes be darkened that they see not; and their back bend thou down always.
May their eyes be darkened and blind, make them shake without ceasing.
24 Pour out thy indignation upon them: and let thy wrathful anger take hold of them.
Pour your indignation upon them, let your burning wrath overtake them.
25 Let their habitation be made desolate: and let there be none to dwell in their tabernacles.
May their camp be a desolation, in their tents be there none to live.
26 Because they have persecuted him whom thou hast smitten; and they have added to the grief of my wounds.
For those whom you struck, they persecute, and those whom you wounded, they pain yet more.
27 Add thou iniquity upon their iniquity: and let them not come into thy justice.
Charge them with sin upon sin, may they not be acquitted by you.
28 Let them be blotted out of the book of the living; and with the just let them not be written.
From the book of life be they blotted, may their names not be written with the righteous.
29 But I am poor and sorrowful: thy salvation, O God, hath set me up.
Lift me, O God, by your help above my pain and misery.
30 I will praise the name of God with a canticle: and I will magnify him with praise.
Then will I praise God in song and magnify him with thanksgiving,
31 And it shall please God better than a young calf, that bringeth forth horns and hoofs.
which shall please the Lord better than ox, or than bullock with horns and hoofs.
32 Let the poor see and rejoice: seek ye God, and your soul shall live.
The oppressed shall rejoice at the sight. You who seek after God, let your heart revive.
33 For the Lord hath heard the poor: and hath not despised his prisoners.
For the Lord listens to the poor, he does not despise his prisoners.
34 Let the heavens and the earth praise him; the sea, and every thing that creepeth therein.
Let the heavens and the earth sing his praises, the seas, and all creatures that move in them.
35 For God will save Sion, and the cities of Juda shall be built up. And they shall dwell there, and acquire it by inheritance.
For God will bring help to Zion, and build up the cities of Judah, his people shall live there in possession.
36 And the seed of his servants shall possess it; and they that love his name shall dwell therein.
His servants’ children shall have it for heritage, and those who love him shall live therein.
