Psalms 69
1 To the Overseer. — 'On the Lilies,' by David. Save me, O God, for come have waters unto the soul.
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].
2 I have sunk in deep mire, And there is no standing, I have come into the depths of the waters, And a flood hath overflown me.
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.
3 I have been wearied with my calling, Burnt hath been my throat, Consumed have been mine eyes, waiting for my God.
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.
4 Those hating me without cause Have been more than the hairs of my head, Mighty have been my destroyers, My lying enemies, That which I took not away — I bring back.
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!
5 O God, Thou — Thou hast known Concerning my overturn, And my desolations from Thee have not been hid.
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].
6 Let not those waiting on Thee be ashamed because of me, O Lord, Jehovah of Hosts, Let not those seeking Thee Blush because of me, O God of Israel.
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.
7 For because of Thee I have borne reproach, Shame hath covered my face.
People have insulted/ridiculed me because [I am devoted to] you. They have thoroughly humiliated [IDM] me.
8 A stranger I have been to my brother, And a foreigner to sons of my mother.
Even my own [older] brothers act as if they do not know me; they treat me like a foreigner.
9 For zeal for Thy house hath consumed me, And the reproaches of Thy reproachers Have fallen upon me.
[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.
10 And I weep in the fasting of my soul, And it is for a reproach to me.
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.
11 And I make my clothing sackcloth, And I am to them for a simile.
When I put on [rough] sackcloth [to show that I am sad], they laugh at [IDM] me.
12 Those sitting at the gate meditate concerning me, And those drinking strong drink, Play on instruments.
Even the elders [of the city] say bad things about me. The drunkards of the city sing [disgusting] songs about me.
13 And I — my prayer [is] to Thee, O Jehovah, A time of good pleasure, O God, In the abundance of Thy kindness, Answer me in the truth of Thy salvation.
But Yahweh, I will [continue] praying to you. At the time that you choose, answer me and rescue me because you faithfully love me.
14 Deliver me from the mire, and let me not sink, Let me be delivered from those hating me, And from deep places of waters.
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!
15 Let not a flood of waters overflow me, Nor let the deep swallow me up, Nor let the pit shut her mouth upon me.
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].
16 Answer me, O Jehovah, for good [is] Thy kindness, According to the abundance Of Thy mercies turn Thou unto me,
O Yahweh, answer my prayer and help me because you are good and love me faithfully.
17 And hide not Thy face from Thy servant, For I am in distress — haste, answer me.
Do not (hide yourself from/refuse to hear) me; answer me quickly because I am in great trouble.
18 Be near unto my soul — redeem it, Because of mine enemies ransom me.
Come near to me and save me; rescue me from my enemies.
19 Thou — Thou hast known my reproach, And my shame, and my blushing, Before Thee [are] all mine adversaries.
You know that I am insulted and that [people cause] me [to feel] ashamed and dishonored; you know [who] all my enemies [are].
20 Reproach hath broken my heart, and I am sick, And I look for a bemoaner, and there is none, And for comforters, and I have found none.
[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.
21 And they give for my food gall, And for my thirst cause me to drink vinegar.
[Instead], they gave me food [that tasted like] poison, and when I was thirsty, they gave me sour wine to drink.
22 Their table before them is for a snare, And for a recompence — for a trap.
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.
23 Darkened are their eyes from seeing, And their loins continually shake Thou.
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.
24 Pour upon them Thine indignation, And the fierceness of Thine anger doth seize them.
Show them that you are very angry with them! Because of your great/furious anger, chase after them and catch them.
25 Their tower is desolated, In their tents there is no dweller.
Cause their towns to become abandoned/deserted and that there will be no one left to live in their tents/houses.
26 For they have pursued him Thou hast smitten, And recount of the pain of Thy pierced ones.
[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.
27 Give punishment for their iniquity, And they enter not into Thy righteousness.
Keep making a record of all their sins, do not acquit/pardon them [for the evil things that they have done].
28 They are blotted out of the book of life, And with the righteous are not written.
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.
29 And I [am] afflicted and pained, Thy salvation, O God, doth set me on high.
As for me, I have pain and am suffering. O God, protect me and rescue me.
30 I praise the name of God with a song, And I magnify Him with thanksgiving,
When God does that, I will sing as I praise God, and I will honor him by thanking him.
31 And it is better to Jehovah than an ox, A bullock — horned — hoofed.
My doing that will please Yahweh more than [sacrificing] oxen, more than offering him full-grown bulls.
32 The humble have seen — they rejoice, Ye who seek God — and your heart liveth.
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.
33 For Jehovah hearkeneth unto the needy, And His bound ones He hath not despised.
Yahweh listens to those who are needy; He does not ignore/forget those who are oppressed/imprisoned.
34 The heavens and earth do praise Him, Seas, and every moving thing in them.
I desire that everything will praise God— everything that is in heaven and on earth, and all the creatures that are in the seas.
35 For God doth save Zion, And doth build the cities of Judah, And they have dwelt there, and possess it.
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.
36 And the seed of His servants inherit it, And those loving His name dwell in it!
The descendants of his people will inherit it, and those who love him will live there [safely].
