Add parallel Print Page Options

Save Me, O God

For the choir director. According to [a]Shoshannim. Of David.

69 Save me, O God,
For the (A)waters have [b]threatened my life.
I have sunk in deep (B)clay, and there is no foothold;
I have come into deep waters, and a [c](C)flood overflows me.
I am (D)weary with my calling out; my throat is parched;
My (E)eyes fail while I wait for my God.
Those (F)who hate me without cause are more than the hairs of my head;
Those who would [d]destroy me (G)are powerful, being wrongfully my enemies;
(H)What I did not steal, I then have to restore.

O God, it is You who knows (I)my folly,
And [e](J)all my guilt is not hidden from You.
May those who hope for You not (K)be ashamed through me, O Lord Yahweh of hosts;
May those who seek You not be dishonored through me, O God of Israel,
Because (L)for Your sake I have borne reproach;
(M)Dishonor has covered my face.
I have become (N)estranged [f]from my brothers
And a foreigner to my mother’s sons.
For (O)zeal for Your house has consumed me,
And (P)the reproaches of those who reproach You have fallen on me.
10 When I wept (Q)in my soul with fasting,
It became my reproach.
11 When I made (R)sackcloth my clothing,
I became (S)a byword to them.
12 Those who (T)dwell at the gate moan about me,
And I am (U)the drunkards’ songs.

13 But as for me, my prayer is to You, O Yahweh, (V)at an acceptable time;
O God, in the (W)abundance of Your lovingkindness,
Answer me with the truth of Your salvation.
14 Deliver me from the (X)mire and do not let me sink;
May I be (Y)delivered from [g]my foes and from the [h](Z)deep waters.
15 May the [i](AA)flood of water not overflow me
Nor the deep swallow me up,
Nor the (AB)pit shut its mouth on me.

16 Answer me, O Yahweh, for (AC)Your lovingkindness is good;
(AD)According to the abundance of Your compassion, (AE)turn to me,
17 And (AF)do not hide Your face from Your slave,
For I am (AG)in distress; answer me quickly.
18 Oh draw near to my soul and (AH)redeem it;
(AI)Ransom me because of my enemies!
19 You know my (AJ)reproach and my shame and my dishonor;
All my adversaries are [j]before You.

20 Reproach has (AK)broken my heart and I am so sick.
And (AL)I hoped for sympathy, but there was none,
And for (AM)comforters, but I found none.
21 They also gave me [k](AN)gall [l]for my food
And for my thirst they (AO)gave me vinegar to drink.

22 May (AP)their table before them become a snare;
And [m](AQ)when they are in peace, may it become a trap.
23 May their (AR)eyes darken so that they cannot see,
And make their (AS)loins quake continually.
24 (AT)Pour out Your indignation on them,
And may Your burning anger overtake them.
25 May their [n](AU)camp be desolate;
May none dwell in their tents.
26 For they have (AV)persecuted him whom (AW)You Yourself have struck down,
And they recount the pain of those whom (AX)You have [o]wounded.
27 Add (AY)iniquity to their iniquity,
And (AZ)may they not come into (BA)Your righteousness.
28 May they be (BB)blotted out of the (BC)book of life
And may they not be [p](BD)recorded with the righteous.

29 But I am (BE)afflicted and in pain;
[q]May Your salvation, O God, (BF)set me securely on high.
30 I will (BG)praise the name of God with song
And (BH)magnify Him with (BI)thanksgiving.
31 And this will (BJ)please Yahweh better than an ox
Or a young bull with horns and hoofs.
32 The (BK)humble [r]see it and are glad;
You who seek God, (BL)let your heart [s]revive.
33 For (BM)Yahweh hears the needy
And (BN)does not despise His who are prisoners.

34 Let (BO)heaven and earth praise Him,
The seas and (BP)everything that moves in them.
35 For God will (BQ)save Zion and (BR)build the cities of Judah,
That they may dwell there and (BS)possess it.
36 The (BT)seed of His slaves will inherit it,
And those who love His name (BU)will dwell in it.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 69 Title Or possibly Lilies
  2. Psalm 69:1 Lit come to the soul
  3. Psalm 69:2 Lit flowing stream
  4. Psalm 69:4 Or silence
  5. Psalm 69:5 Lit my guilts
  6. Psalm 69:8 Lit to
  7. Psalm 69:14 Lit those who hate me
  8. Psalm 69:14 Lit deep places of water
  9. Psalm 69:15 Lit stream
  10. Psalm 69:19 Or known to You
  11. Psalm 69:21 Or poison
  12. Psalm 69:21 Or in
  13. Psalm 69:22 Lit for those who are secure
  14. Psalm 69:25 Lit encampment
  15. Psalm 69:26 Lit pierced
  16. Psalm 69:28 Lit written
  17. Psalm 69:29 Or Your salvation, O God, will set...
  18. Psalm 69:32 Some mss and ancient versions will see
  19. Psalm 69:32 Or live

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