Psalm 69

A Plea for Rescue

For the choir director: according to “The Lilies.”[a] Davidic.

Save me, God,
for the water has risen to my neck.(A)
I have sunk in deep mud, and there is no footing;
I have come into deep waters,
and a flood sweeps over me.(B)
I am weary from my crying;
my throat is parched.
My eyes fail, looking for my God.(C)
Those who hate me without cause
are more numerous than the hairs of my head;
my deceitful enemies, who would destroy me,
are powerful.(D)
Though I did not steal, I must repay.(E)

God, You know my foolishness,
and my guilty acts are not hidden from You.(F)
Do not let those who put their hope in You
be disgraced because of me,
Lord God of Hosts;
do not let those who seek You
be humiliated because of me,
God of Israel.(G)
For I have endured insults because of You,
and shame has covered my face.(H)
I have become a stranger to my brothers
and a foreigner to my mother’s sons(I)
because zeal for Your house has consumed me,(J)
and the insults of those who insult You
have fallen on me.(K)
10 I mourned and fasted,
but it brought me insults.(L)
11 I wore sackcloth as my clothing,
and I was a joke to them.
12 Those who sit at the city gate talk about me,
and drunkards make up songs about me.(M)

13 But as for me, Lord,
my prayer to You is for a time of favor.
In Your abundant, faithful love, God,
answer me with Your sure salvation.(N)
14 Rescue me from the miry mud; don’t let me sink.
Let me be rescued from those who hate me
and from the deep waters.(O)
15 Don’t let the floodwaters sweep over me
or the deep swallow me up;
don’t let the Pit close its mouth over me.(P)
16 Answer me, Lord,
for Your faithful love is good;
in keeping with Your great compassion,
turn to me.(Q)
17 Don’t hide Your face from Your servant,
for I am in distress.
Answer me quickly!(R)
18 Draw near to me and redeem me;
ransom me because of my enemies.(S)

19 You know the insults I endure—
my shame and disgrace.
You are aware of all my adversaries.(T)
20 Insults have broken my heart,
and I am in despair.
I waited for sympathy,
but there was none;
for comforters, but found no one.(U)
21 Instead, they gave me gall[b] for my food,
and for my thirst
they gave me vinegar to drink.(V)

22 Let their table set before them be a snare,
and let it be a trap for their allies.(W)
23 Let their eyes grow too dim to see,
and let their loins continually shake.(X)
24 Pour out Your rage on them,
and let Your burning anger overtake them.(Y)
25 Make their fortification desolate;
may no one live in their tents.(Z)
26 For they persecute the one You struck
and talk about the pain of those You wounded.(AA)
27 Add guilt to their guilt;
do not let them share in Your righteousness.(AB)
28 Let them be erased from the book of life
and not be recorded with the righteous.(AC)

29 But as for me—poor and in pain—
let Your salvation protect me, God.(AD)
30 I will praise God’s name with song
and exalt Him with thanksgiving.(AE)
31 That will please Yahweh more than an ox,
more than a bull with horns and hooves.(AF)
32 The humble will see it and rejoice.
You who seek God, take heart!(AG)
33 For the Lord listens to the needy
and does not despise
His own who are prisoners.(AH)

34 Let heaven and earth praise Him,
the seas and everything that moves in them,(AI)
35 for God will save Zion
and build up[c] the cities of Judah.
They will live there and possess it.(AJ)
36 The descendants of His servants will inherit it,
and those who love His name will live in it.(AK)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 69:1 Possibly a tune; Pss 45; 60; 80
  2. Psalm 69:21 A bitter substance
  3. Psalm 69:35 Or and rebuild

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.
24 Pour out your anger on them—
    let your burning fury catch them.
25 Let their camp be devastated;
    let no one dwell in their tents.
26 Because they go after those you’ve already struck;
    they talk about the pain of those you’ve already pierced.
27 Pile guilt on top of their guilt!
    Don’t let them come into your righteousness!
28 Let them be wiped out of the scroll of life!
    Let them not be recorded along with the righteous!
29 And me? I’m afflicted.
    I’m full of pain.
    Let your salvation keep me safe, God!

30 I will praise God’s name with song;
    I will magnify him with thanks
31     because that is more pleasing to the Lord than an ox,
    more pleasing than a young bull with full horns and hooves.
32 Let the afflicted see it and be glad!
    You who seek God—
    let your hearts beat strong again
33     because the Lord listens to the needy
        and doesn’t despise his captives.

34 Let heaven and earth praise God,
    the oceans too, and all that moves within them!
35 God will most certainly save Zion
    and will rebuild Judah’s cities
    so that God’s servants can live there and possess it.
36 The offspring of God’s servants will inherit Zion,
    and those who love God’s name will dwell there.