Psalms 69

1 For the music director. To the tune “Lilies.” A psalm of David. God, please save me, because the water is up to my neck!

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

2 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.

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

3 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.

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

4 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?

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.

5 God, you know how foolish I am! My sins are not hidden from you.

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

6 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.

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.

7 For your sake I put up with the insults; my face shows my embarrassment.

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

8 I have become a foreigner to my brother Israelites; a stranger to my very own brothers.

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

9 My devotion for your house is burning me up inside; the insults of those who insulted you have fallen on me.

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

10 I wept and I fasted, but they mocked me;

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

11 I mourned in sackcloth, but they laughed at me.

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

12 People sitting by the town gate gossip about me. I'm the subject of rude songs sung by drunks.

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

13 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.

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.

14 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!

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.

15 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.

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

16 Please answer my prayers, Lord, for you are good and love me with your trustworthy love; because of your kindness, please help me.

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

17 Don't turn away from me, your servant. Please answer me quickly because I'm in trouble.

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

18 Come here and rescue me; set me free from my enemies.

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

19 You—you know my shame, my disgrace, my humiliation. You see everything my enemies are doing.

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

20 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.

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.

21 Instead they gave me bitter herbs to eat and vinegar to drink.

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

22 May the table set before them become a trap for them, a net that catches them, bringing punishment.

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

23 May their eyes become blind so they cannot see, and may their backs always be bent low in dejection.

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

24 Pour out your judgment on them; chase them down in your fierce anger.

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

25 Let the places where they live be deserted. Let their homes be abandoned.

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

26 For they persecute those you have punished, and make it even more painful for those you have disciplined.

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

27 Punish them for the evil they have done. Don't acquit them.

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

28 Blot out their names from the Book of Life. Don't let them be listed with those who do right.

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

29 But I am suffering and in physical pain. God, please save me and keep me safe.

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

30 I will praise God's character in song; I will say how incredible he is and how thankful I am.

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

31 The Lord is happier with this than with offering animals as sacrifices: cattle, or bulls with horns and hooves.

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

32 The humble will see this and be happy. May God encourage everyone who comes to him.

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

33 God hears the poor, and he does not ignore his people who are in prison.

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

34 Praise him heaven and earth, the seas and everything that lives in them!

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

35 For God will save Zion, and rebuild the cities of Judah. They will live there and own the land.

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

36 The descendants of those who follow him will inherit the land, and those who love him will live there.

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