< Psalms 69 >
1 “To the chief musician upon Shoshannim, by David.” Save me, O God; for the waters are come even to threaten my life.
For the end, [a Psalm] of David, for alternate [strains]. Save me, O God; for the waters have come in to my soul.
2 I am sunk in the mire of the deep, where there is no standing; I am come into the depths of the waters, and the flood overfloweth me.
I am stuck fast in deep mire, and there is no standing: I am come in to the depths of the sea, and a storm has overwhelmed me.
3 I am weary of my calling; my throat is hoarse; my eyes fail, while I hope for my God.
I am weary [of] crying, my throat has become hoarse; mine eyes have failed by my waiting on my God.
4 More than the hairs of my head are those that hate me without a cause; numerous are those that would destroy me, that are my enemies wrongfully: what I have not robbed shall I now restore.
They that hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of my head: my enemies that persecute me unrighteously are strengthened: then I restored that which I took not away.
5 O God, thou art well aware of my folly, and my guilty deeds are from thee not hidden.
O God, you know my foolishness; and my transgressions are not hidden from you.
6 Let not those that wait on thee, O Lord Eternal of hosts, be made ashamed through me: let not those that seek thee be confounded through me, O God of Israel.
Let not them that wait on you, O Lord of hosts, be ashamed on my account: let not them that seek you, be ashamed on my account, O God of Israel.
7 Because for thy sake have I borne reproach, hath confusion covered my face.
For I have suffered reproach for your sake; shame has covered my face.
8 A stranger am I become unto my brothers, and an alien unto my mother's children.
I became strange to my brethren, and a stranger to my mother's children.
9 Because the zeal for thy house hath devoured me; and the reproaches of those that reproached thee are fallen upon me.
For the zeal of your house has eaten me up; and the reproaches of them that reproached you are fallen upon me.
10 When I wept at the fasting of my soul, it became a reproach to me.
And I bowed down my soul with fasting, and that was made my reproach.
11 And when I made sackcloth my garment, I became a proverb to them.
And I put on sackcloth for my covering; and I became a proverb to them.
12 Those that sit in the gate talk against me; and [about me make] songs the drinkers of strong drink.
They that sit in the gate talked against me, and they that drank wine sang against me.
13 But as for me, I direct my prayer unto thee, O Lord, in a time of favor; O God, in the multitude of thy kindness: answer me in the truth of thy salvation.
But I [will cry] to you, O Lord, in my prayer; O God, it is a propitious time: in the multitude of your mercy hear me, in the truth of your salvation.
14 Deliver me out of the mire, that I may not sink: let me be delivered from those that hate me, and out of the depths of the waters.
Save me from the mire, that I stick not [in it]: let me be delivered from them that hate me, and from the deep waters.
15 Let not the flood of waters overflow me, and let not the deep swallow me up, and let not the pit close its mouth upon me.
Let not the waterflood drown me, nor let the deep swallow me up; neither let the well shut its mouth upon me.
16 Answer me, O Lord; for thy kindness is good: according to the multitude of thy mercies turn thou unto me.
Hear me, O Lord; for your mercy is good: according to the multitude of your compassions look upon me.
17 And hide not thy face from thy servant; for I am in distress: make haste and answer me.
And turn not away your face from your servant; for I am afflicted: hear me speedily.
18 Draw nigh unto my soul, and redeem it: because of my enemies do thou ransom me.
Draw near to my soul and redeem it: deliver me because of mine enemies.
19 Thou well knowest my reproach, and my shame, and my confusion: before thee are all my assailants.
For you know my reproach, and my shame, and my confusion; all that afflict me are before you.
20 Reproach hath broken my heart; and I am sick; and I waited for pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none.
My soul has waited for reproach and misery; and I waited for one to grieve with me, but there was none; and for one to comfort me, but I found none.
21 And they put into my food gall; and in my thirst they give me vinegar to drink.
They gave [me] also gall for my food, and made me drink vinegar for my thirst.
22 May [then] their table become a snare before them: and to those that are at peace, a trap.
Let their table before them be for a snare, and for a recompense, and for a stumbling block.
23 May their eyes become dark, that they cannot see; and make their loins continually to waver.
Let their eyes be darkened that they should not see; and bow down their back continually.
24 Pour out over them thy indignation, and let the heat of thy anger overtake them.
Pour out your wrath upon them, and let the fury of your anger take hold on them.
25 May their palace become desolate: in their tents let no one dwell.
Let their habitation be made desolate; and let there be no inhabitant in their tents:
26 For whom thou hast smitten they persecute; and of the pain of those whom thou but wounded do they converse.
Because they persecuted him whom you have struck; and they have added to the grief of my wounds.
27 Lay guilt upon their guilt; and let them not come into thy righteousness.
Add iniquity to their iniquity; and let them not come into your righteousness.
28 Let them be blotted out of the book of the living; and with the righteous let them not be written down.
Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and let them not be written with the righteous.
29 But I am poor and suffering: let thy salvation, O God, set me up on high.
I am poor and sorrowful; but the salvation of your countenance has helped me.
30 I will praise the name of God with song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving.
I will praise the name of my God with a song, I will magnify him with praise;
31 And this will please the Lord better than an ox or bullock having horns and cloven hoofs.
and [this] shall please God more than a young calf having horns and hoofs.
32 The meek will see this, and be rejoiced: ye that seek God, and your heart shall revive.
Let the poor see and rejoice; seek the Lord diligently, and you shall live.
33 For the Lord listeneth unto the needy, and his prisoners he despiseth not.
For the Lord hears the poor, and does not set at nothing his fettered ones.
34 Let heaven and earth praise him, the seas, and every thing that moveth therein.
Let the heavens and the earth raise him, the sea, and all things moving in them.
35 For God will save Zion, and will build the cities of Judah: that they may abide there, and have it in possession:
For God will save Sion, and the cities of Judea shall be built; and [men] shall dwell there, and inherit it.
36 And the seed of his servants shall inherit it; and they that love his name shall dwell therein.
And the seed of his servants shall possess it, and they that love his name shall dwell therein.