Psalm 69

A Plea for Rescue

For the choir director: according to "The Lilies." Davidic.

1 Save me, God,
for the water has risen to my neck.
2 I have sunk in deep mud, and there is no footing;
I have come into deep waters,
and a flood sweeps over me.
3 I am weary from my crying;
my throat is parched.
My eyes fail, looking for my God.

4 Those who hate me without cause
are more numerous than the hairs of my head;
my deceitful enemies, who would destroy me,
are powerful.
Though I did not steal, I must repay.

5 God, You know my foolishness,
and my guilty acts are not hidden from You.
6 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.
7 For I have endured insults because of You,
and shame has covered my face.
8 I have become a stranger to my brothers
and a foreigner to my mother's sons
9 because zeal for Your house has consumed me,
and the insults of those who insult You
have fallen on me.
10 I mourned and fasted,
but it brought me insults.
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.

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.
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.
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.
16 Answer me, Lord,
for Your faithful love is good;
in keeping with Your great compassion,
turn to me.
17 Don't hide Your face from Your servant,
for I am in distress.
Answer me quickly!

18 Draw near to me and redeem me;
ransom me because of my enemies.

19 You know the insults I endure-
my shame and disgrace.
You are aware of all my adversaries.
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.

21 Instead, they gave me gall for my food,
and for my thirst
they gave me vinegar to drink.

22 Let their table set before them be a snare,
and let it be a trap for [their] allies.
23 Let their eyes grow too dim to see,
and let their loins continually shake.
24 Pour out Your rage on them,
and let Your burning anger overtake them.
25 Make their fortification desolate;
may no one live in their tents.
26 For they persecute the one You struck
and talk about the pain of those You wounded.
27 Add guilt to their guilt;
do not let them share in Your righteousness.

28 Let them be erased from the book of life
and not be recorded with the righteous.

29 But as for me-poor and in pain-
let Your salvation protect me, God.
30 I will praise God's name with song
and exalt Him with thanksgiving.
31 That will please Yahweh more than an ox,
more than a bull with horns and hooves.
32 The humble will see it and rejoice.
You who seek God, take heart!

33 For the Lord listens to the needy
and does not despise
His own who are prisoners.

34 Let heaven and earth praise Him,
the seas and everything that moves in them,
35 for God will save Zion
and build up the cities of Judah.
They will live there and possess it.

36 The descendants of His servants will inherit it,
and those who love His name will live in it.

Psalm 69

1 Save me, O God; For the waters are come in unto my soul.

2 I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing: I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me.

3 I am weary with my crying; my throat is dried: Mine eyes fail while I wait for my God.

4 They that hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of my head: They that would cut me off, being mine enemies wrongfully, are mighty: That which I took not away I have to restore.

5 O God, thou knowest my foolishness; And my sins are not hid from thee.

6 Let not them that wait for thee be put to shame through me, O Lord Jehovah of hosts: Let not those that seek thee be brought to dishonor through me, O God of Israel.

7 Because for thy sake I have borne reproach; Shame hath covered my face.

8 I am become a stranger unto my brethren, And an alien unto my mother’s children.

9 For the zeal of thy house hath eaten me up; And the reproaches of them that reproach thee are fallen upon me.

10 When I wept, and chastened my soul with fasting, That was to my reproach.

11 When I made sackcloth my clothing, I became a byword unto them.

12 They that sit in the gate talk of me; And I am the song of the drunkards.

13 But as for me, my prayer is unto thee, O Jehovah, in an acceptable time: O God, in the abundance of thy lovingkindness, Answer me in the truth of thy salvation.

14 Deliver me out of the mire, and let me not sink: Let me be delivered from them that hate me, and out of the deep waters.

15 Let not the waterflood overwhelm me, Neither let the deep shallow me up; And let not the pit shut its mouth upon me.

16 Answer me, O Jehovah; for thy lovingkindness is good: According to the multitude of thy tender mercies turn thou unto me.

17 And hide not thy face from thy servant; For I am in distress; answer me speedily.

18 Draw nigh unto my soul, and redeem it: Ransom me because of mine enemies.

19 Thou knowest my reproach, and my shame, and my dishonor: Mine adversaries are all before thee.

20 Reproach hath broken my heart; and I am full of heaviness: And I looked for some to take pity, but there was none; And for comforters, but I found none.

21 They gave me also gall for my food; And in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.

22 Let their table before them become a snare; And when they are in peace, let it become a trap.

23 Let their eyes be darkened, so that they cannot see; And make their loins continually to shake.

24 Pour out thine indignation upon them, And let the fierceness of thine anger overtake them.

25 Let their habitation be desolate; Let none dwell in their tents.

26 For they persecute him whom thou hast smitten; And they tell of the sorrow of those whom thou hast wounded.

27 Add iniquity unto their iniquity; And let them not come into thy righteousness.

28 Let them be blotted out of the book of life, And not be written with the righteous.

29 But I am poor and sorrowful: Let thy salvation, O God, set me up on high.

30 I will praise the name of God with a song, And will magnify him with thanksgiving.

31 And it will please Jehovah better than an ox, Or a bullock that hath horns and hoofs.

32 The meek have seen it, and are glad: Ye that seek after God, let your heart live.

33 For Jehovah heareth the needy, And despiseth not his prisoners.

34 Let heaven and earth praise him, The seas, and everything that moveth therein.

35 For God will save Zion, and build the cities of Judah; And they shall abide there, and have it in possession.

36 The seed also of his servants shall inherit it; And they that love his name shall dwell therein.