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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

To the Director: To the tune of[a] “The Lilies”. Davidic.

When God Seems Distant

69 Deliver me, God,
    because the waters are up to my neck.[b]
I am sinking in deep mire,
    and there is no solid ground.[c]
I have come into deep water,
    and the flood overwhelms me.
I am exhausted from calling for help.
    My throat is parched.
        My eyes are strained from looking for God.

Those who hate me without cause
    are more than the hairs of my head.
My persecutors are mighty,
    and they want to destroy me.
        Must I be forced to return what I did not steal?
God, you know my sins,
    and my guilt is not hidden from you.
Do not let those who look up to you be ashamed
    because of me,
        Lord God of the Heavenly Armies.
Let not those who seek you be humiliated
    because of me,
        God of Israel.

I am being mocked because of you.
    Dishonor overwhelms me.
I am a stranger to my brothers,
    a foreigner to my mother’s sons.
Zeal for your house consumes me,
    and the mockeries of those who insult you fall on me.
10 I weep and fast,
    and I am mocked for it.

11 When I dressed in sackcloth,
    I became an object of gossip among them.
12 The prominent people mock me,
    composing drinking songs.

Seeking God for Deliverance

13 As for me, Lord, may my prayer to you come at a favorable time.
    God, in the abundance of your gracious love,
        answer me with your sure deliverance.
14 Rescue me from the mud
    and do not let me sink.
Rescue me from those who hate me,
    and from the deep waters.
15 Let neither the floodwaters overwhelm me
    nor let the deep swallow me up,
        nor the mouth of the well close over me.

16 Answer me, Lord, for your gracious love is good;
    Turn to me in keeping with your great compassion,
17 and[d] do not ignore your servant,
    because I am in distress.
        Hurry to answer me!
18 Draw near and redeem me;
    ransom me because of my enemies.

19 Truly you know my reproach, shame, and disgrace.
    All my enemies are known to[e] you.
20 Insults broke my heart.
    I despaired and looked for sympathy;
but there was none,
    for comforters, but I found none.
21 They put poison in my food,
    in my thirst they forced me to drink vinegar.

22 May their dining[f] tables entrap them,
    and become a snare for their allies.
23 May their eyes be blinded
    and may their bodies tremble continuously.
24 May you pour out your fury on them.
    May your burning anger overtake them.
25 May their camp become desolate
    and their tents remain unoccupied.
26 For they persecute those whom you have struck,
    and they brag about the pain of those you have wounded.

27 May you punish them for their crimes;
    may they receive no verdict of innocence[g] from you.
28 May they be erased from the Book of Life,
    and their names not be written with the righteous.

29 As for me, I am afflicted and hurting;
    may your deliverance, God, establish me on high.
30 Let me praise the name of God with a song
    that I may magnify him with thanksgiving.
31 That will please the Lord
    more than oxen and bulls with horns and hooves.

32 The afflicted will watch and rejoice.
    May you who seek God take courage.
33 For the Lord listens to the needy
    and doesn’t despise those in bondage.
34 Let the heavens and earth praise him,
    along with the sea and its swarming creatures.[h]
35 For God will deliver Zion
    and will rebuild the cities of Judah
        so they may live there and possess them.
36 The descendants of his servants will inherit it,
    and those who cherish his name will live there.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 69:1 Lit. According to
  2. Psalm 69:1 Lit. soul
  3. Psalm 69:2 Or foothold
  4. Psalm 69:17 So MT; DSS 4QPsa lack and
  5. Psalm 69:19 Lit. are before
  6. Psalm 69:22 The Heb. lacks dining
  7. Psalm 69:27 Lit. no righteousness
  8. Psalm 69:34 The Heb. lacks creatures