Psalm 69[a]

For the director of music. To the tune of “Lilies.” Of David.

Save me, O God,
    for the waters(A) have come up to my neck.(B)
I sink in the miry depths,(C)
    where there is no foothold.
I have come into the deep waters;
    the floods engulf me.
I am worn out calling for help;(D)
    my throat is parched.
My eyes fail,(E)
    looking for my God.
Those who hate me(F) without reason(G)
    outnumber the hairs of my head;
many are my enemies without cause,(H)
    those who seek to destroy me.(I)
I am forced to restore
    what I did not steal.

You, God, know my folly;(J)
    my guilt is not hidden from you.(K)

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 69:1 In Hebrew texts 69:1-36 is numbered 69:2-37.

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

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

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

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.

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

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30 I will praise God’s name in song(A)
    and glorify him(B) with thanksgiving.
31 This will please the Lord more than an ox,
    more than a bull with its horns and hooves.(C)
32 The poor will see and be glad(D)
    you who seek God, may your hearts live!(E)
33 The Lord hears the needy(F)
    and does not despise his captive people.

34 Let heaven and earth praise him,
    the seas and all that move in them,(G)
35 for God will save Zion(H)
    and rebuild the cities of Judah.(I)
Then people will settle there and possess it;
36     the children of his servants will inherit it,(J)
    and those who love his name will dwell there.(K)

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

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

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

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

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

35 For God will save Zion, and will build the cities of Judah: that they may dwell there, and have it in possession.

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

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Anointing Oil

22 Then the Lord said to Moses, 23 “Take the following fine spices:(A) 500 shekels[a] of liquid myrrh,(B) half as much (that is, 250 shekels) of fragrant cinnamon,(C) 250 shekels[b] of fragrant calamus,(D) 24 500 shekels(E) of cassia(F)—all according to the sanctuary shekel—and a hin[c] of olive oil. 25 Make these into a sacred anointing oil, a fragrant blend, the work of a perfumer.(G) It will be the sacred anointing oil.(H) 26 Then use it to anoint(I) the tent of meeting, the ark of the covenant law, 27 the table and all its articles, the lampstand and its accessories, the altar of incense, 28 the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and the basin with its stand. 29 You shall consecrate them(J) so they will be most holy, and whatever touches them will be holy.(K)

30 “Anoint Aaron and his sons and consecrate(L) them so they may serve me as priests.(M) 31 Say to the Israelites, ‘This is to be my sacred anointing oil(N) for the generations to come.(O) 32 Do not pour it on anyone else’s body and do not make any other oil using the same formula. It is sacred, and you are to consider it sacred.(P) 33 Whoever makes perfume like it and puts it on anyone other than a priest must be cut off(Q) from their people.’”

Incense

34 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Take fragrant spices(R)—gum resin, onycha and galbanum—and pure frankincense, all in equal amounts, 35 and make a fragrant blend of incense,(S) the work of a perfumer.(T) It is to be salted and pure and sacred. 36 Grind some of it to powder and place it in front of the ark of the covenant law in the tent of meeting, where I will meet(U) with you. It shall be most holy(V) to you. 37 Do not make any incense with this formula for yourselves; consider it holy(W) to the Lord. 38 Whoever makes incense like it to enjoy its fragrance must be cut off(X) from their people.”

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Footnotes

  1. Exodus 30:23 That is, about 12 1/2 pounds or about 5.8 kilograms; also in verse 24
  2. Exodus 30:23 That is, about 6 1/4 pounds or about 2.9 kilograms
  3. Exodus 30:24 That is, probably about 1 gallon or about 3.8 liters

22 Moreover the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

23 Take thou also unto thee principal spices, of pure myrrh five hundred shekels, and of sweet cinnamon half so much, even two hundred and fifty shekels, and of sweet calamus two hundred and fifty shekels,

24 And of cassia five hundred shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary, and of oil olive an hin:

25 And thou shalt make it an oil of holy ointment, an ointment compound after the art of the apothecary: it shall be an holy anointing oil.

26 And thou shalt anoint the tabernacle of the congregation therewith, and the ark of the testimony,

27 And the table and all his vessels, and the candlestick and his vessels, and the altar of incense,

28 And the altar of burnt offering with all his vessels, and the laver and his foot.

29 And thou shalt sanctify them, that they may be most holy: whatsoever toucheth them shall be holy.

30 And thou shalt anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, that they may minister unto me in the priest's office.

31 And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, This shall be an holy anointing oil unto me throughout your generations.

32 Upon man's flesh shall it not be poured, neither shall ye make any other like it, after the composition of it: it is holy, and it shall be holy unto you.

33 Whosoever compoundeth any like it, or whosoever putteth any of it upon a stranger, shall even be cut off from his people.

34 And the Lord said unto Moses, Take unto thee sweet spices, stacte, and onycha, and galbanum; these sweet spices with pure frankincense: of each shall there be a like weight:

35 And thou shalt make it a perfume, a confection after the art of the apothecary, tempered together, pure and holy:

36 And thou shalt beat some of it very small, and put of it before the testimony in the tabernacle of the congregation, where I will meet with thee: it shall be unto you most holy.

37 And as for the perfume which thou shalt make, ye shall not make to yourselves according to the composition thereof: it shall be unto thee holy for the Lord.

38 Whosoever shall make like unto that, to smell thereto, shall even be cut off from his people.

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When they heard him speak to them in Aramaic,(A) they became very quiet.

Then Paul said: “I am a Jew,(B) born in Tarsus(C) of Cilicia,(D) but brought up in this city. I studied under(E) Gamaliel(F) and was thoroughly trained in the law of our ancestors.(G) I was just as zealous(H) for God as any of you are today. I persecuted(I) the followers of this Way(J) to their death, arresting both men and women and throwing them into prison,(K) as the high priest and all the Council(L) can themselves testify. I even obtained letters from them to their associates(M) in Damascus,(N) and went there to bring these people as prisoners to Jerusalem to be punished.

“About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me.(O) I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, ‘Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?’

“‘Who are you, Lord?’ I asked.

‘I am Jesus of Nazareth,(P) whom you are persecuting,’ he replied. My companions saw the light,(Q) but they did not understand the voice(R) of him who was speaking to me.

10 “‘What shall I do, Lord?’ I asked.

‘Get up,’ the Lord said, ‘and go into Damascus. There you will be told all that you have been assigned to do.’(S) 11 My companions led me by the hand into Damascus, because the brilliance of the light had blinded me.(T)

12 “A man named Ananias came to see me.(U) He was a devout observer of the law and highly respected by all the Jews living there.(V) 13 He stood beside me and said, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight!’ And at that very moment I was able to see him.

14 “Then he said: ‘The God of our ancestors(W) has chosen you to know his will and to see(X) the Righteous One(Y) and to hear words from his mouth. 15 You will be his witness(Z) to all people of what you have seen(AA) and heard. 16 And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized(AB) and wash your sins away,(AC) calling on his name.’(AD)

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(And when they heard that he spake in the Hebrew tongue to them, they kept the more silence: and he saith,)

I am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day.

And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women.

As also the high priest doth bear me witness, and all the estate of the elders: from whom also I received letters unto the brethren, and went to Damascus, to bring them which were there bound unto Jerusalem, for to be punished.

And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and was come nigh unto Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me.

And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?

And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest.

And they that were with me saw indeed the light, and were afraid; but they heard not the voice of him that spake to me.

10 And I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said unto me, Arise, and go into Damascus; and there it shall be told thee of all things which are appointed for thee to do.

11 And when I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of them that were with me, I came into Damascus.

12 And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good report of all the Jews which dwelt there,

13 Came unto me, and stood, and said unto me, Brother Saul, receive thy sight. And the same hour I looked up upon him.

14 And he said, The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldest know his will, and see that Just One, and shouldest hear the voice of his mouth.

15 For thou shalt be his witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard.

16 And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.

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