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Psalm 69

For the music leader. According to “The Lilies.” Of David.

69 Save me, God,
    because the waters have reached my neck!
I have sunk into deep mud.
    My feet can’t touch the bottom!
I have entered deep water;
    the flood has swept me up.
I am tired of crying.
    My throat is hoarse.
    My eyes are exhausted with waiting for my God.

More numerous than the hairs on my head
    are those who hate me for no reason.
My treacherous enemies,
    those who would destroy me, are countless.
    Must I now give back
    what I didn’t steal in the first place?
God, you know my foolishness;
    my wrongdoings aren’t hidden from you.

Lord God of heavenly forces!—
    don’t let those who hope in you
        be put to shame because of me.
God of Israel!—
    don’t let those who seek you
    be disgraced because of me.
I am insulted because of you.
    Shame covers my face.
I have become a stranger to my own brothers,
    an immigrant to my mother’s children.
Because passion for your house has consumed me,
    the insults of those who insult you have fallen on me!
10 I wept while I fasted—
    even for that I was insulted.
11 When I wore funeral clothes,
    people made fun of me.
12 Those who sit at the city gate muttered things about me;
    drunkards made up rude songs.

13 But me? My prayer reaches you, Lord,
    at just the right time.
God, in your great and faithful love,
    answer me with your certain salvation!
14 Save me from the mud!
    Don’t let me drown!
    Let me be saved from those who hate me
    and from these watery depths!
15 Don’t let me be swept away by the floodwaters!
    Don’t let the abyss swallow me up!
    Don’t let the pit close its mouth over me!
16 Answer me, Lord, for your faithful love is good!
    Turn to me in your great compassion!
17 Don’t hide your face from me, your servant,
    because I’m in deep trouble.
    Answer me quickly!
18 Come close to me!
    Redeem me!
    Save me because of my enemies!

19 You know full well the insults I’ve received;
    you know my shame and my disgrace.
    All my adversaries are right there in front of you.
20 Insults have broken my heart.
    I’m sick about it.
I hoped for sympathy,
    but there wasn’t any;
    I hoped for comforters,
    but couldn’t find any.
21 They gave me poison for food.
    To quench my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.

22 Let the table before them become a trap,
    their offerings a snare.
23 Let their eyes grow too dim to see;
    make their insides tremble constantly.

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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)

Lord, the Lord Almighty,
    may those who hope in you
    not be disgraced because of me;
God of Israel,
    may those who seek you
    not be put to shame because of me.
For I endure scorn(L) for your sake,(M)
    and shame covers my face.(N)
I am a foreigner to my own family,
    a stranger to my own mother’s children;(O)
for zeal for your house consumes me,(P)
    and the insults of those who insult you fall on me.(Q)
10 When I weep and fast,(R)
    I must endure scorn;
11 when I put on sackcloth,(S)
    people make sport of me.
12 Those who sit at the gate(T) mock me,
    and I am the song of the drunkards.(U)

13 But I pray to you, Lord,
    in the time of your favor;(V)
in your great love,(W) O God,
    answer me with your sure salvation.
14 Rescue me from the mire,
    do not let me sink;
deliver me from those who hate me,
    from the deep waters.(X)
15 Do not let the floodwaters(Y) engulf me
    or the depths swallow me up(Z)
    or the pit close its mouth over me.(AA)

16 Answer me, Lord, out of the goodness of your love;(AB)
    in your great mercy turn to me.
17 Do not hide your face(AC) from your servant;
    answer me quickly,(AD) for I am in trouble.(AE)
18 Come near and rescue me;
    deliver(AF) me because of my foes.

19 You know how I am scorned,(AG) disgraced and shamed;
    all my enemies are before you.
20 Scorn has broken my heart
    and has left me helpless;
I looked for sympathy, but there was none,
    for comforters,(AH) but I found none.(AI)
21 They put gall in my food
    and gave me vinegar(AJ) for my thirst.(AK)

22 May the table set before them become a snare;
    may it become retribution and[b] a trap.(AL)
23 May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see,
    and their backs be bent forever.(AM)

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 69:1 In Hebrew texts 69:1-36 is numbered 69:2-37.
  2. Psalm 69:22 Or snare / and their fellowship become

Jerusalem’s suffering

Oh, no!
She sits alone, the city that was once full of people.
Once great among nations, she has become like a widow.
Once a queen over provinces, she has become a slave.

She weeps bitterly in the night, her tears on her cheek.
None of her lovers comfort her.
    All her friends lied to her; they have become her enemies.

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[a]How deserted(A) lies the city,
    once so full of people!(B)
How like a widow(C) is she,
    who once was great(D) among the nations!
She who was queen among the provinces
    has now become a slave.(E)

Bitterly she weeps(F) at night,
    tears are on her cheeks.
Among all her lovers(G)
    there is no one to comfort her.
All her friends have betrayed(H) her;
    they have become her enemies.(I)

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Footnotes

  1. Lamentations 1:1 This chapter is an acrostic poem, the verses of which begin with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.

Daughter Zion lost all her glory.
Her officials are like deer that can’t find pasture.
They have gone away, frail, before the hunter.

While suffering and homeless, Jerusalem remembers all her treasures from days long past.
When her people fell by the enemy’s hand, there was no one to help her.
Enemies saw her, laughed at her defeat.

Jerusalem has sinned greatly; therefore, she’s become a joke.[a]
All who honored her now detest her, for they’ve seen her naked.
Even she groans and turns away.

Her uncleanness shows on her clothing; she didn’t consider what would happen to her.
She’s gone down shockingly; she has no comforter.
Lord, look at my suffering—the enemy has definitely triumphed!”

10 The enemy grabbed all her treasures.
She watched nations enter her sanctuary—
nations that you, God,[b] commanded: They must not enter your assembly.

11 All her people are groaning, seeking bread.
They give up their most precious things for food to survive.
Lord, look and take notice: I am most certainly despised.”

12 Is this nothing to all you who pass by?[c]
Look around: Is there any suffering like the suffering inflicted on me,
the grief that the Lord caused on the day of his fierce anger?

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Footnotes

  1. Lamentations 1:8 Or she’s become unclean.
  2. Lamentations 1:10 Heb lacks God.
  3. Lamentations 1:12 Heb uncertain

All the splendor has departed
    from Daughter Zion.(A)
Her princes are like deer
    that find no pasture;
in weakness they have fled(B)
    before the pursuer.

In the days of her affliction and wandering
    Jerusalem remembers all the treasures
    that were hers in days of old.
When her people fell into enemy hands,
    there was no one to help her.(C)
Her enemies looked at her
    and laughed(D) at her destruction.

Jerusalem has sinned(E) greatly
    and so has become unclean.(F)
All who honored her despise her,
    for they have all seen her naked;(G)
she herself groans(H)
    and turns away.

Her filthiness clung to her skirts;
    she did not consider her future.(I)
Her fall(J) was astounding;
    there was none to comfort(K) her.
“Look, Lord, on my affliction,(L)
    for the enemy has triumphed.”

10 The enemy laid hands
    on all her treasures;(M)
she saw pagan nations
    enter her sanctuary(N)
those you had forbidden(O)
    to enter your assembly.

11 All her people groan(P)
    as they search for bread;(Q)
they barter their treasures for food
    to keep themselves alive.
“Look, Lord, and consider,
    for I am despised.”

12 “Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by?(R)
    Look around and see.
Is any suffering like my suffering(S)
    that was inflicted on me,
that the Lord brought on me
    in the day of his fierce anger?(T)

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Greeting

From Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by God’s will, and Timothy our brother.

To God’s church that is in Corinth, along with all of God’s people throughout Achaia.

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ.

God’s comfort in trouble

May the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ be blessed! He is the compassionate Father and God of all comfort. He’s the one who comforts us in all our trouble so that we can comfort other people who are in every kind of trouble. We offer the same comfort that we ourselves received from God. That is because we receive so much comfort through Christ in the same way that we share so many of Christ’s sufferings. So if we have trouble, it is to bring you comfort and salvation. If we are comforted, it is to bring you comfort from the experience of endurance while you go through the same sufferings that we also suffer. Our hope for you is certain, because we know that as you are partners in suffering, so also you are partners in comfort.

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Paul, an apostle(A) of Christ Jesus by the will of God,(B) and Timothy(C) our brother,

To the church of God(D) in Corinth,(E) together with all his holy people throughout Achaia:(F)

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.(G)

Praise to the God of All Comfort

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,(H) the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us(I) in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ,(J) so also our comfort abounds through Christ. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation;(K) if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings,(L) so also you share in our comfort.

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Fig tree and the temple

12 The next day, after leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. 13 From far away, he noticed a fig tree in leaf, so he went to see if he could find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing except leaves, since it wasn’t the season for figs. 14 So he said to it, “No one will ever again eat your fruit!” His disciples heard this.

15 They came into Jerusalem. After entering the temple, he threw out those who were selling and buying there. He pushed over the tables used for currency exchange and the chairs of those who sold doves. 16 He didn’t allow anyone to carry anything through the temple. 17 He taught them, “Hasn’t it been written, My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations?[a] But you’ve turned it into a hideout for crooks.”[b] 18 The chief priests and legal experts heard this and tried to find a way to destroy him. They regarded him as dangerous because the whole crowd was enthralled at his teaching. 19 When it was evening, Jesus and his disciples went outside the city.

Power, prayer, and forgiveness

20 Early in the morning, as Jesus and his disciples were walking along, they saw the fig tree withered from the root up. 21 Peter remembered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, look how the fig tree you cursed has dried up.”

22 Jesus responded to them, “Have faith in God! 23 I assure you that whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea’—and doesn’t waver but believes that what is said will really happen—it will happen. 24 Therefore I say to you, whatever you pray and ask for, believe that you will receive it, and it will be so for you. 25 And whenever you stand up to pray, if you have something against anyone, forgive so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your wrongdoings.”[c]

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Footnotes

  1. Mark 11:17 Isa 56:7
  2. Mark 11:17 Jer 7:11
  3. Mark 11:25 11:26 is omitted in most critical editions of the Gk New Testament And if you don’t forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive you your wrongdoings.

Jesus Curses a Fig Tree and Clears the Temple Courts(A)(B)(C)

12 The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. 13 Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs.(D) 14 Then he said to the tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard him say it.

15 On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple courts and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, 16 and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. 17 And as he taught them, he said, “Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’[a]?(E) But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’[b](F)

18 The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him,(G) because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching.(H)

19 When evening came, Jesus and his disciples[c] went out of the city.(I)

20 In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. 21 Peter remembered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi,(J) look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!”

22 “Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. 23 “Truly[d] I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them.(K) 24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.(L) 25 And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”(M)

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Footnotes

  1. Mark 11:17 Isaiah 56:7
  2. Mark 11:17 Jer. 7:11
  3. Mark 11:19 Some early manuscripts came, Jesus
  4. Mark 11:23 Some early manuscripts “If you have faith in God,” Jesus answered, 23 “truly