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. On "The Lilies." David’s. Save me, O God, For waters have entered as far as the 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 have sunk in deep swamp, Where there is no place to stand, I have come into abysses of waters, Where a flood hath overflowed 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 with mine outcry, Parched is my throat, —Mine eyes have become dim, through waiting 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 they who hate me without cause, —Firmer than my bones, Are they who are my foes for false cause, —What I had not plundered, then, had I 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, thou, hast known my folly, And, my wrong-doings, from thee, have not been hid.

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 them not be ashamed, through me, Who have waited for thee, O My Lord, Yahweh of hosts, —Let them not be confounded, through me, Who are seeking thee, 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, Confusion hath covered my face;

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

One estranged, have I become, to my own brethren, Yea, an alien, to the sons of my own mother;

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, zeal for thy house, hath eaten me up, And, the reproaches of them who have reproached thee, have 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 have humbled my soul with fasting, Then hath it turned to my reproach;

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

When I have made my clothing of sackcloth, Then have I served them for a by-word;

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

They who sit in the gate talk against me, —And [against me are] the songs of them who imbibe 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, my prayer shall be unto thee, O Yahweh, in a time of acceptance, O God, in the abounding of thy lovingkindness, answer me with thy saving faithfulness.

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!

Rescue me out of the mire, lest I sink, Let me be rescued, From my haters, and, From abysses of 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 a flood of waters overflow me, And let not the depth swallow me up, Neither let the well close, over me, her mouth.

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

Answer me, O Yahweh, for good is thy lovingkindness, According to the abounding of thy compassions, turn thou towards me:

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

Then do not hide thy face from thy servant, Because I am in distress, haste thou—answer me!

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

Oh draw near unto my soul—redeem it, Because of mine 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].

Thou, knowest my reproach, and my shame, and my confusion, Before thee, are all mine adversaries.

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 weak, —Though I waited for one to pity me, yet there was none, And for comforters, yet I found not any.

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

But they put in my food—poison! And, for my thirst, they gave for my drink—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.

Let their table, before them, become a snare, And unto their friends, a lure;

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 become too dim to see, And, their loins, continually cause thou 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 over them thine indignation, And let, the glow of thine 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.

Let their encampment become desolate, In their tents, be there none to 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 thyself, hadst smitten, they pursued, And, unto the pain of thy wounded ones, they must needs add.

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

Lay punishment on their iniquity, And let them not enter 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 life, And, with the righteous, let them not be enrolled.

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

I, then, am humbled and in pain, Thy salvation, O God, may it set me 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.

So shall it be more pleasing to Yahweh than a bullock of the herd, Showing horn [and] divided hoof.

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 humbled have seen—they rejoice! Ye seekers of God, let your heart, then, revive;

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

For, a Hearkener to the needy, is Yahweh, And, his prisoners, hath he not despised.

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, praise him, The seas, and everything that creepeth 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 build the cities of Judah, So shall men dwell there, and possess it:

36 The descendants of his people will inherit it, and those who love him will live there [safely].

Yea, the seed of his servants, shall inherit it, And, the lovers of his Name, shall settle down therein.