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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

Psalm 69

Prayer for Deliverance from Persecution

To the leader: according to Lilies. Of David.

Save me, O God,
    for the waters have come up to my neck.(A)
I sink in deep mire,
    where there is no foothold;
I have come into deep waters,
    and the flood sweeps over me.(B)
I am weary with my crying;
    my throat is parched.
My eyes grow dim
    with waiting for my God.(C)

More in number than the hairs of my head
    are those who hate me without cause;
many are those who would destroy me,
    my enemies who accuse me falsely.
What I did not steal,
    must I now restore?(D)
O God, you know my folly;
    the wrongs I have done are not hidden from you.(E)

Do not let those who hope in you be put to shame because of me,
    O Lord God of hosts;
do not let those who seek you be dishonored because of me,
    O God of Israel.
It is for your sake that I have borne reproach,
    that shame has covered my face.(F)
I have become a stranger to my kindred,
    an alien to my mother’s children.(G)

It is zeal for your house that has consumed me;
    the insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.(H)
10 When I humbled my soul with fasting,[a]
    they insulted me for doing so.(I)
11 When I made sackcloth my clothing,
    I became a byword to them.(J)
12 I am the subject of gossip for those who sit in the gate,
    and the drunkards make songs about me.(K)

13 But as for me, my prayer is to you, O Lord.
    At an acceptable time, O God,
    in the abundance of your steadfast love, answer me.
With your faithful help(L) 14 rescue me
    from sinking in the mire;
let me be delivered from my enemies
    and from the deep waters.(M)
15 Do not let the flood sweep over me
    or the deep swallow me up
    or the Pit close its mouth over me.(N)

16 Answer me, O Lord, for your steadfast love is good;
    according to your abundant mercy, turn to me.(O)
17 Do not hide your face from your servant,
    for I am in distress—make haste to answer me.(P)
18 Draw near to me; redeem me;
    set me free because of my enemies.

19 You know the insults I receive
    and my shame and dishonor;
    my foes are all known to you.(Q)
20 Insults have broken my heart,
    so that I am in despair.
I looked for pity, but there was none;
    and for comforters, but I found none.(R)
21 They gave me poison for food,
    and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.(S)

22 Let their table be a trap for them,
    a snare for their allies.(T)
23 Let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see,
    and make their loins tremble continually.(U)
24 Pour out your indignation upon them,
    and let your burning anger overtake them.(V)
25 May their camp be a desolation;
    let no one live in their tents.(W)
26 For they persecute those whom you have struck down,
    and those whom you have wounded they attack still more.[b](X)
27 Add guilt to their guilt;
    may they have no acquittal from you.
28 Let them be blotted out of the book of the living;
    let them not be enrolled among the righteous.(Y)
29 But I am lowly and in pain;
    let your salvation, O God, protect me.(Z)

30 I will praise the name of God with a song;
    I will magnify him with thanksgiving.(AA)
31 This will please the Lord more than an ox
    or a bull with horns and hoofs.(AB)
32 Let the oppressed see it and be glad;
    you who seek God, let your hearts revive.(AC)
33 For the Lord hears the needy
    and does not despise his own who are in bonds.(AD)

34 Let heaven and earth praise him,
    the seas and everything that moves in them.(AE)
35 For God will save Zion
    and rebuild the cities of Judah,
and his servants shall live[c] there and possess it;(AF)
36     the children of his servants shall inherit it,
    and those who love his name shall live in it.(AG)

Footnotes

  1. 69.10 Gk Syr: Heb I wept, with fasting my soul, or I made my soul mourn with fasting
  2. 69.26 Gk Syr: Heb recount the pain of
  3. 69.35 Syr: Heb and they shall live