Psalms 69

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

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

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 standing. I have come into deep waters, where the floods overflow 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 dried. 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 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.

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

O God, thou know my foolishness, and my sins are not hid from thee.

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 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.

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

Because for thy sake I have borne reproach, 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, and an alien to my mother's sons.

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

For the zeal of thy house has eaten me up, and the reproaches of those who reproach thee have fallen upon me.

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

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

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 a byword to them.

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

Those who sit in the gate talk of me, and I am the song of the drunkards.

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

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.

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

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.

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.

Let not the water flood overwhelm me, nor let the deep swallow me up. And let not the pit shut its mouth upon me.

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

Answer me, O Jehovah, for thy loving kindness is good. According to the multitude of thy tender mercies turn thou to me,

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

and hide not thy face from thy servant, for I am in distress. Answer me speedily.

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

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

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

Thou know my reproach, and my shame, and my dishonor. My adversaries are all before thee.

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.

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

They also gave me gall for my food, and 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, and when they are in peace, a trap, and for a stumbling block, and for a retribution to them.

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

Let their eyes be darkened, so that they cannot see, and bow down their back continually.

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

Pour out thine indignation upon them, and let the fierceness of thine anger overtake them.

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

Let their habitation be desolate. Let none dwell in their tents.

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

For they persecute him whom thou have smitten, and they tell of the sorrow of those whom thou have wounded.

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

Add iniquity to their iniquity, and let them not come into thy righteousness.

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 with the righteous.

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

But I am poor and sorrowful. Let thy salvation, O 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 magnify him with thanksgiving,

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

and it will please Jehovah better than an ox, or a bullock that has horns and hoofs.

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. Ye who seek after God, let your heart live.

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

For Jehovah 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 therein.

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 build the cities of Judah. And they shall abide there, and have it in possession.

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

The seed also of his servants shall inherit it, and those who love his name shall dwell therein.