Psalm 69–71
A Cry of Distress and Imprecation on Adversaries.
For the choir director; according to †Shoshannim. A Psalm of David.
For the awaters have 1threatened my life.
2 I have sunk in deep amire, and there is no foothold;
I have come into deep waters, and a 1bflood overflows me.
3 I am aweary with my crying; my throat is parched;
My beyes fail while I wait for my God.
4 Those awho hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of my head;
Those who would 1destroy me bare powerful, being wrongfully my enemies;
cWhat I did not steal, I then have to restore.
5 O God, it is You who knows amy folly,
And bmy wrongs are not hidden from You.
6 May those who wait for You not abe ashamed through me, O Lord 1God of hosts;
May those who seek You not be dishonored through me, O God of Israel,
7 Because afor Your sake I have borne reproach;
bDishonor has covered my face.
8 I have become aestranged 1from my brothers
And an alien to my mother’s sons.
9 For azeal for Your house has consumed me,
And bthe reproaches of those who reproach You have fallen on me.
10 When I wept ain my soul with fasting,
It became my reproach.
11 When I made asackcloth my clothing,
I became ba byword to them.
12 Those who asit in the gate talk about me,
And I am the 1bsong of the drunkards.
13 But as for me, my prayer is to You, O Lord, aat an acceptable time;
O God, in the bgreatness of Your lovingkindness,
Answer me with 1Your saving truth.
14 Deliver me from the amire and do not let me sink;
May I be bdelivered from 1my foes and from the 2adeep waters.
15 May the 1aflood of water not overflow me
Nor the deep swallow me up,
Nor the bpit shut its mouth on me.
16 Answer me, O Lord, for aYour lovingkindness is good;
bAccording to the greatness of Your compassion, cturn to me,
17 And ado not hide Your face from Your servant,
For I am bin distress; answer me quickly.
18 Oh draw near to my soul and aredeem it;
bRansom me because of my enemies!
19 You know my areproach and my shame and my dishonor;
All my adversaries are 1before You.
20 Reproach has abroken my heart and I am so sick.
And bI looked for sympathy, but there was none,
And for ccomforters, but I found none.
21 They also gave me 1agall 2for my food
And for my thirst they bgave me vinegar to drink.
22 May atheir table before them become a snare;
And 1bwhen they are in peace, may it become a trap.
23 May their aeyes grow dim so that they cannot see,
And make their bloins shake continually.
24 aPour out Your indignation on them,
And may Your burning anger overtake them.
25 May their 1acamp be desolate;
May none dwell in their tents.
26 For they have apersecuted him whom bYou Yourself have smitten,
And they tell of the pain of those whom cYou have 1wounded.
27 Add ainiquity to their iniquity,
And bmay they not come into cYour righteousness.
28 May they be ablotted out of the bbook of life
And may they not be 1crecorded with the righteous.
29 But I am aafflicted and in pain;
1May Your salvation, O God, bset me securely on high.
30 I will apraise the name of God with song
And bmagnify Him with cthanksgiving.
31 And it will aplease the Lord better than an ox
Or a young bull with horns and hoofs.
32 The ahumble 1have seen it and are glad;
You who seek God, blet your heart 2revive.
33 For athe Lord hears the needy
And bdoes not despise His who are prisoners.
34 Let aheaven and earth praise Him,
The seas and beverything that moves in them.
35 For God will asave Zion and bbuild the cities of Judah,
That they may dwell there and cpossess it.
36 The 1adescendants of His servants will inherit it,
And those who love His name bwill dwell in it.
Prayer for Help against Persecutors.
For the choir director. A Psalm of David; for a memorial.
1 aO God, hasten to deliver me;
O Lord, hasten to my help!
2 aLet those be ashamed and humiliated
Who seek my 1life;
Let those be turned back and dishonored
Who delight 2in my hurt.
3 aLet those be 1turned back because of their shame
Who say, “Aha, aha!”
4 Let all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You;
And let those who love Your salvation say continually,
“Let God be magnified.”
5 But aI am afflicted and needy;
bHasten to me, O God!
You are my help and my deliverer;
O Lord, do not delay.
Prayer of an Old Man for Deliverance.
1 aIn You, O Lord, I have taken refuge;
Let me never be ashamed.
2 aIn Your righteousness deliver me and rescue me;
bIncline Your ear to me and save me.
3 aBe to me a rock of bhabitation to which I may continually come;
You have given ccommandment to save me,
For You are dmy 1rock and my fortress.
4 aRescue me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked,
Out of the 1grasp of the wrongdoer and ruthless man,
5 For You are my ahope;
O Lord 1God, You are my bconfidence from my youth.
6 1By You I have been asustained from my birth;
You are He who btook me from my mother’s womb;
My cpraise is continually 2of You.
7 I have become a amarvel to many,
For You are bmy strong refuge.
8 My amouth is filled with Your praise
And with bYour glory all day long.
9 Do not cast me off in the atime of old age;
Do not forsake me when my strength fails.
10 For my enemies have spoken 1against me;
And those who awatch for my 2life bhave consulted together,
11 Saying, “aGod has forsaken him;
Pursue and seize him, for there is bno one to deliver.”
12 O God, ado not be far from me;
O my God, bhasten to my help!
13 Let those who are adversaries of my soul be aashamed and consumed;
Let them be bcovered with reproach and dishonor, who cseek 1to injure me.
14 But as for me, I will ahope continually,
And will 1bpraise You yet more and more.
15 My amouth shall tell of Your righteousness
And of bYour salvation all day long;
For I cdo not know the 1sum of them.
16 I will come awith the mighty deeds of the Lord 1God;
I will bmake mention of Your righteousness, Yours alone.
17 O God, You ahave taught me from my youth,
And I still bdeclare Your wondrous deeds.
18 And even when I am aold and gray, O God, do not forsake me,
Until I bdeclare Your 1strength to this generation,
Your power to all who are to come.
19 1For Your arighteousness, O God, reaches to the 2heavens,
You who have bdone great things;
O God, cwho is like You?
20 You who have ashown 1me many troubles and distresses
And will bring 1me up again cfrom the depths of the earth.
21 May You increase my agreatness
And turn to bcomfort me.
22 I will also praise You with 1aa harp,
Even Your 2truth, O my God;
To You I will sing praises with the blyre,
O cHoly One of Israel.
23 My lips will ashout for joy when I sing praises to You;
And my bsoul, which You have redeemed.
24 My atongue also will utter Your righteousness all day long;
For they are bashamed, for they are humiliated who seek 1my hurt.