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

For the music director; according to the tune of “Lilies;” by David.

1 Deliver me, O God,
for the water has reached my neck.

2 I sink into the deep mire
where there is no solid ground;
I am in deep water,
and the current overpowers me.

3 I am exhausted from shouting for help;
my throat is sore;
my eyes grow tired of looking for my God.

4 Those who hate me without cause are more numerous than the hairs of my head.
Those who want to destroy me, my enemies for no reason, outnumber me.
They make me repay what I did not steal!

5 O God, you are aware of my foolish sins;
my guilt is not hidden from you.

6 Let none who rely on you be disgraced because of me,
O sovereign Lord and king!
Let none who seek you be ashamed because of me,
O God of Israel!

7 For I suffer humiliation for your sake
and am thoroughly disgraced.

8 My own brothers treat me like a stranger;
they act as if I were a foreigner.

9 Certainly zeal for your house consumes me;
I endure the insults of those who insult you.

10 I weep and refrain from eating food,
which causes others to insult me.

11 I wear sackcloth
and they ridicule me.

12 Those who sit at the city gate gossip about me;
drunkards mock me in their songs.

13 O Lord, may you hear my prayer and be favorably disposed to me!
O God, because of your great loyal love,
answer me with your faithful deliverance!

14 Rescue me from the mud! Don’t let me sink!
Deliver me from those who hate me,
from the deep water!

15 Don’t let the current overpower me!
Don’t let the deep swallow me up!
Don’t let the pit devour me!

16 Answer me, O Lord, for your loyal love is good!
Because of your great compassion, turn toward me!

17 Do not ignore your servant,
for I am in trouble! Answer me right away!

18 Come near me and redeem me!
Because of my enemies, rescue me!

19 You know how I am insulted, humiliated and disgraced;
you can see all my enemies.

20 Their insults are painful and make me lose heart;
I look for sympathy, but receive none,
for comforters, but find none.

21 They put bitter poison into my food,
and to quench my thirst they give me vinegar to drink.

22 May their dining table become a trap before them!
May it be a snare for that group of friends!

23 May their eyes be blinded!
Make them shake violently!

24 Pour out your judgment on them!
May your raging anger overtake them!

25 May their camp become desolate,
their tents uninhabited!

26 For they harass the one whom you discipline;
they spread the news about the suffering of those whom you punish.

27 Hold them accountable for all their sins!
Do not vindicate them!

28 May their names be deleted from the scroll of the living!
Do not let their names be listed with the godly!

29 I am oppressed and suffering!
O God, deliver and protect me!

30 I will sing praises to God’s name!
I will magnify him as I give him thanks!

31 That will please the Lord more than an ox or a bull
with horns and hooves.

32 The oppressed look on – let them rejoice!
You who seek God, may you be encouraged!

33 For the Lord listens to the needy;
he does not despise his captive people.

34 Let the heavens and the earth praise him,
along with the seas and everything that swims in them!

35 For God will deliver Zion
and rebuild the cities of Judah,
and his people will again live in them and possess Zion.

36 The descendants of his servants will inherit it,
and those who are loyal to him will live in it.