Psalms 69

1 O God, save me, because [I am in great danger]. [It is as though] flood water is up to my neck, [and I am about to drown] [MET].

SAVE me, O God; for the waters are come in unto my soul.

2 I continue to sink in the deep mud, and there is no solid ground for me to stand on. I am in deep water, and flood waters are swirling around me.

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

3 I am exhausted from calling out [for help]; my throat is very dry. Because I have cried so much as I have waited for God [to help me], my eyes are swollen.

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

4 Those who hate me when there is no reason to hate me are more than the number of hairs on my head [HYP]! Those who want to get rid of me are strong, and they tell lies about me. They demand that I return to them things that I did not steal!

They that hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of mine head: they that would destroy me, being mine enemies wrongfully, are mighty: then I restored that which I took not away.

5 O God, (you see the sins that I have committed/my sins are not hidden from you). You know that I have foolishly [disobeyed your laws].

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

6 O Yahweh God, [you who are the commander] of the armies [of heaven], do not allow the [wrong things that] I [have done] to cause those who trust in you to be disappointed/disillusioned. O God, you whom [we] Israeli people [worship], do not allow me to cause your people to be humiliated.

Let not them that wait on thee, O Lord God of hosts, be ashamed for my sake: let not those that seek thee be confounded for my sake, O God of Israel.

7 People have insulted/ridiculed me because [I am devoted to] you. They have thoroughly humiliated [IDM] me.

Because for thy sake I have borne reproach; shame hath covered my face.

8 Even my own [older] brothers act as if they do not know me; they treat me like a foreigner.

I am become a stranger unto my brethren, and an alien unto my mother’s children.

9 [Some people have despised your temple]; but my zeal for [keeping] your temple [holy] is like a fire burning inside me. So [it is as though] those who are insulting you are also insulting me.

For the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up; and the reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me.

10 When I have humbled myself and (fasted/abstained from eating food) [to show my sadness about the disgraceful things that they have done to your temple], they just insult me.

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

11 When I put on [rough] sackcloth [to show that I am sad], they laugh at [IDM] me.

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

12 Even the elders [of the city] say bad things about me. The drunkards of the city sing [disgusting] songs about me.

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

13 But Yahweh, I will [continue] praying to you. At the time that you choose, answer me and rescue me because you faithfully love me.

But as for me, my prayer is unto thee, O Lord, in an acceptable time: O God, in the multitude of thy mercy hear me, in the truth of thy salvation.

14 Do not allow me to sink any more in the mud. Rescue me from those who hate me! Lift me up out of these 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 Do not allow flood waters to swirl around me, do not allow the deep [mud] to swallow me; keep me from sinking into the pit [of death] [MET].

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

16 O Yahweh, answer my prayer and help me because you are good and love me faithfully.

Hear me, O Lord; for thy lovingkindness is good: turn unto me according to the multitude of thy tender mercies.

17 Do not (hide yourself from/refuse to hear) me; answer me quickly because I am in great trouble.

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

18 Come near to me and save me; rescue me from my enemies.

Draw nigh unto my soul, and redeem it: deliver me because of mine enemies.

19 You know that I am insulted and that [people cause] me [to feel] ashamed and dishonored; you know [who] all my enemies [are].

Thou hast known my reproach, and my shame, and my dishonour: mine adversaries are all before thee.

20 [Their] insults have deeply offended me, and I (feel helpless/am in despair). I searched for [someone who would] pity [me], but there was no one. I wanted someone to encourage/comfort me, but there were none.

Reproach hath 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 food [that tasted like] poison, and when I was thirsty, they gave me sour wine to drink.

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

22 I hope/desire that the feasts [MTY] [that they enjoy] will (become a snare for/bring trouble to) them, and that [those whom they invite to] the sacrificial feasts will also be trapped.

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

23 I hope/desire that their eyesight will become dim so that they cannot see anything, and that their backs/bodies will become weaker and weaker.

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

24 Show them that you are very angry with them! Because of your great/furious anger, chase after them and catch them.

Pour out thine indignation upon them, and let thy wrathful anger take hold of them.

25 Cause their towns to become abandoned/deserted and that there will be no one left to live in their tents/houses.

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

26 [Do this] because they persecute those whom you have punished, (they talk about the sins of/they want to hurt even more) those whom you have wounded.

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

27 Keep making a record of all their sins, do not acquit/pardon them [for the evil things that they have done].

Add iniquity unto their iniquity: and let them not come into thy righteousness.

28 Erase their names [SYN] from the book [containing the names of those who have eternal] life; do not include them in the list of righteous people.

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

29 As for me, I have pain and am suffering. O God, protect me and rescue me.

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

30 When God does that, I will sing as I praise God, and I will honor him by thanking him.

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

31 My doing that will please Yahweh more than [sacrificing] oxen, more than offering him full-grown bulls.

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

32 Oppressed/Afflicted people will see [that God has rescued me], and they will be glad. I want all of you who ask God [to help you] to be encouraged.

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

33 Yahweh listens to those who are needy; He does not ignore/forget those who are oppressed/imprisoned.

For the Lord heareth the poor, and despiseth not his prisoners.

34 I desire that everything will praise God— everything that is in heaven and on earth, and all the creatures that are in the seas.

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

35 God will rescue the people of Jerusalem [from their enemies], and he will rebuild the towns that are in Judah. His people will live there and [again] possess 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 his people will inherit it, and those who love him will live there [safely].

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