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].
“To the chief musician upon Shoshannim, by David.” Save me, O God; for the waters are come even to threaten my life.
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 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.
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 calling; my throat is hoarse; my eyes fail, while I hope 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!
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.
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 art well aware of my folly, and my guilty deeds are from thee not hidden.
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 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.
7 People have insulted/ridiculed me because [I am devoted to] you. They have thoroughly humiliated [IDM] me.
Because for thy sake have I borne reproach, hath confusion covered my face.
8 Even my own [older] brothers act as if they do not know me; they treat me like a foreigner.
A stranger am I become unto my brothers, 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.
Because the zeal for thy house hath devoured me; and the reproaches of those 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 at the fasting of my soul, it became a reproach to me.
11 When I put on [rough] sackcloth [to show that I am sad], they laugh at [IDM] me.
And when I made sackcloth my garment, 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.
Those that sit in the gate talk against me; and [about me make] songs the drinkers of strong drink.
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, 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.
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, that I may not sink: let me be delivered from those that hate me, and out of the depths of the 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 flood of waters overflow me, and let not the deep swallow me up, and let not the pit close its mouth upon me.
16 O Yahweh, answer my prayer and help me because you are good and love me faithfully.
Answer me, O Lord; for thy kindness is good: according to the multitude of thy mercies turn thou unto me.
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 distress: make haste and answer me.
18 Come near to me and save me; rescue me from my enemies.
Draw nigh unto my soul, and redeem it: because of my enemies do thou ransom me.
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 well knowest my reproach, and my shame, and my confusion: before thee are all my assailants.
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 sick; and I waited for 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.
And they put into my food gall; and in my thirst they give 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.
May [then] their table become a snare before them: and to those that are at peace, 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.
May their eyes become dark, that they cannot see; and make their loins continually to waver.
24 Show them that you are very angry with them! Because of your great/furious anger, chase after them and catch them.
Pour out over them thy indignation, and let the heat of thy anger overtake them.
25 Cause their towns to become abandoned/deserted and that there will be no one left to live in their tents/houses.
May their palace become desolate: in their tents let no one dwell.
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 whom thou hast smitten they persecute; and of the pain of those whom thou but wounded do they converse.
27 Keep making a record of all their sins, do not acquit/pardon them [for the evil things that they have done].
Lay guilt upon their guilt; 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 with the righteous let them not be written down.
29 As for me, I have pain and am suffering. O God, protect me and rescue me.
But I am poor and suffering: 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 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.
And this will please the Lord better than an ox or bullock having horns and cloven 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 meek will see this, and be rejoiced: ye that seek God, and your heart shall revive.
33 Yahweh listens to those who are needy; He does not ignore/forget those who are oppressed/imprisoned.
For the Lord listeneth unto the needy, and his prisoners he despiseth not.
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 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 abide there, and have it in possession:
36 The descendants of his people will inherit it, and those who love him will live there [safely].
And the seed of his servants shall inherit it; and they that love his name shall dwell therein.
