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].
For the leader. On shoshannim. Of David. Save me, O God; for the waters are threatening 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 depths of mire, where ground there is none. I am come into deep deep waters, the flood overwhelms 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 crying, my throat is parched, my eyes are wasted with waiting for 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 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?
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, you know my folly, my guilt is not hidden from you.
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.
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.
7 People have insulted/ridiculed me because [I am devoted to] you. They have thoroughly humiliated [IDM] me.
It’s in your cause that I have borne taunts, and my face has been covered with shame;
8 Even my own [older] brothers act as if they do not know me; they treat me like a foreigner.
I became to my kindred a foreigner, to my mother’s sons a stranger.
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.
It was zeal for your house that consumed me, and the insults they hurled at you fell 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 chastened myself with fasting, they took occasion to taunt me.
11 When I put on [rough] sackcloth [to show that I am sad], they laugh at [IDM] me.
When I put on a garment of sackcloth, they made me the theme of a taunt-song.
12 Even the elders [of the city] say bad things about me. The drunkards of the city sing [disgusting] songs about me.
Those who sit in the gate make sport of me in the music of drunken songs.
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 I pray to you, Lord, for a time of favour. In your great love answer me; with your loyal help, save me
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!
from sinking down in the mire. Lift me out of the deep 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].
that the rushing flood may not drown me, that the deep may not swallow me up, nor the pit close her mouth upon me.
16 O Yahweh, answer my prayer and help me because you are good and love me faithfully.
Answer me, Lord, in your gracious kindness, turn to me in your great compassion.
17 Do not (hide yourself from/refuse to hear) me; answer me quickly because I am in great trouble.
Hide not your face from your servant, for I am in trouble; O answer me speedily.
18 Come near to me and save me; rescue me from my enemies.
Draw near to me, redeem me; because of my enemies, 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].
You know how I am insulted; in your sight are all my foes.
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.
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.
21 [Instead], they gave me food [that tasted like] poison, and when I was thirsty, they gave me sour wine to drink.
Poison they gave me for food, and to slake my thirst they gave vinegar.
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 their table, outspread, be a trap to them, and their peace-offerings be a snare.
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 be darkened and blind, make them shake without ceasing.
24 Show them that you are very angry with them! Because of your great/furious anger, chase after them and catch them.
Pour your indignation upon them, let your burning wrath 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 camp be a desolation, in their tents be there none to live.
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 those whom you struck, they persecute, and those whom you wounded, they pain yet more.
27 Keep making a record of all their sins, do not acquit/pardon them [for the evil things that they have done].
Charge them with sin upon sin, may they not be acquitted by you.
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.
From the book of life be they blotted, may their names not be written with the righteous.
29 As for me, I have pain and am suffering. O God, protect me and rescue me.
Lift me, O God, by your help above my pain and misery.
30 When God does that, I will sing as I praise God, and I will honor him by thanking him.
Then will I praise God in song and magnify him with thanksgiving,
31 My doing that will please Yahweh more than [sacrificing] oxen, more than offering him full-grown bulls.
which shall please the Lord better than ox, or than bullock with 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 oppressed shall rejoice at the sight. You who seek after God, let your heart revive.
33 Yahweh listens to those who are needy; He does not ignore/forget those who are oppressed/imprisoned.
For the Lord listens to the poor, he does not despise 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 heavens and the earth sing his praises, the seas, and all creatures that move in them.
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 bring help to Zion, and build up the cities of Judah, his people shall live there in possession.
36 The descendants of his people will inherit it, and those who love him will live there [safely].
His servants’ children shall have it for heritage, and those who love him shall live therein.
