Psalm 69

Psalm 69^a

For the director of music. To the tune of “Lilies.” Of David.

¹Save me, O God,

for the waters^u have come up to my neck.^v

²I sink in the miry depths,^w

where there is no foothold.

I have come into the deep waters;

the floods engulf me.

³I am worn out calling for help;^x

my throat is parched.

My eyes fail,^y

looking for my God.

⁴Those who hate me^z without reason^a

outnumber the hairs of my head;

many are my enemies without cause,^b

those who seek to destroy me.^c

I am forced to restore

what I did not steal.

⁵You, God, know my folly;^d

my guilt is not hidden from you.^e

⁶Lord, the Lord Almighty,

may those who hope in you

not be disgraced because of me;

God of Israel,

may those who seek you

not be put to shame because of me.

⁷For I endure scorn^f for your sake,^g

and shame covers my face.^h

⁸I am a foreigner to my own family,

a stranger to my own mother’s children;ⁱ

⁹for zeal for your house consumes me,^j

and the insults of those who insult you fall on me.^k

¹⁰When I weep and fast,^l

I must endure scorn;

¹¹when I put on sackcloth,^m

people make sport of me.

¹²Those who sit at the gateⁿ mock me,

and I am the song of the drunkards.^o

¹³But I pray to you, Lord,

in the time of your favor;^p

in your great love,^q O God,

answer me with your sure salvation.

¹⁴Rescue me from the mire,

do not let me sink;

deliver me from those who hate me,

from the deep waters.^r

¹⁵Do not let the floodwaters^s engulf me

or the depths swallow me up^t

or the pit close its mouth over me.^u

¹⁶Answer me, Lord, out of the goodness of your love;^v

in your great mercy turn to me.

¹⁷Do not hide your face^w from your servant;

answer me quickly,^x for I am in trouble.^y

¹⁸Come near and rescue me;

deliver^z me because of my foes.

¹⁹You know how I am scorned,^a disgraced and shamed;

all my enemies are before you.

²⁰Scorn has broken my heart

and has left me helpless;

I looked for sympathy, but there was none,

for comforters,^b but I found none.^c

²¹They put gall in my food

and gave me vinegar^d for my thirst.^e

²²May the table set before them become a snare;

may it become retribution and^b a trap.^f

²³May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see,

and their backs be bent forever.^g

²⁴Pour out your wrath^h on them;

let your fierce anger overtake them.

²⁵May their place be deserted;ⁱ

let there be no one to dwell in their tents.^j

²⁶For they persecute those you wound

and talk about the pain of those you hurt.^k

²⁷Charge them with crime upon crime;^l

do not let them share in your salvation.^m

²⁸May they be blotted out of the book of lifeⁿ

and not be listed with the righteous.^o

²⁹But as for me, afflicted and in pain—

may your salvation, God, protect me.^p

³⁰I will praise God’s name in song^q

and glorify him^r with thanksgiving.

³¹This will please the Lord more than an ox,

more than a bull with its horns and hooves.^s

³²The poor will see and be glad^t—

you who seek God, may your hearts live!^u

³³The Lord hears the needy^v

and does not despise his captive people.

³⁴Let heaven and earth praise him,

the seas and all that move in them,^w

³⁵for God will save Zion^x

and rebuild the cities of Judah.^y

Then people will settle there and possess it;

³⁶the children of his servants will inherit it,^z

and those who love his name will dwell there.^a