Psalms 69

1 To the chief music-maker; put to Shoshannim. Of David. Be my saviour, O God; because the waters have come in, even to my neck.

To the chief Musician upon Shoshannim, [A Psalm] of David. Save me, O God; for the waters are come in to [my] soul.

2 My feet are deep in the soft earth, where there is no support; I have come into deep waters, the waves are flowing over me.

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

3 I am tired with my crying; my throat is burning: my eyes are wasted with waiting for my God.

I am weary of my crying: my throat is dried: my eyes fail while I wait for my God.

4 Those who have hate for me without cause are greater in number than the hairs of my head; those who are against me, falsely desiring my destruction, are very strong; I gave back what I had not taken away.

They that hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of my head: they that would destroy me, [being] my enemies wrongfully, are mighty: then I restored [that] which I took not away.

5 O God, you see how foolish I am; and my wrongdoing is clear to you.

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

6 Let not those who have hope in you be put to shame because of me, O Lord God of armies: let not those who are waiting for you be made low because of me, O God of Israel.

Let not them that wait on thee, O LORD God of hosts, be ashamed for my sake: let not those that seek thee be confounded for my sake, O God of Israel.

7 I have been wounded with sharp words because of you; my face has been covered with shame.

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

8 I have become strange to my brothers, and like a man from a far country to my mother's children.

I am become a stranger to my brethren, and an alien to my mother's children.

9 I am on fire with passion for your house; and the hard things which are said about you have come on me.

For the zeal of thy house hath eaten me up; and the reproaches of them that reproached thee have fallen upon me.

10 My bitter weeping, and my going without food, were turned to my shame.

When I wept, [and chastened] my soul with fasting, that was to my reproach.

11 When I put on the clothing of grief, they said evil of me.

I made sackcloth also my garment; and I became a proverb to them.

12 I am a cause of wonder to those in authority; a song to those who are given to strong drink.

They that sit in the gate speak against me; and I [was] the song of the drunkards.

13 But as for me, let my prayer be made to you, O Lord, at a time when you are pleased; O God, give me an answer in your great mercy, for your salvation is certain.

But as for me, my prayer [is] to thee, O LORD, [in] an acceptable time: O God, in the multitude of thy mercy hear me, in the truth of thy salvation.

14 Take me from the grip of the sticky earth, so that I may not go down into it; let me be lifted up from the deep waters.

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 me not be covered by the flowing waters; let not the deep waters go over my head, and let me not be shut up in the underworld.

Let not the water-flood overflow me, neither let the deep swallow me up, and let not the pit shut her mouth upon me.

16 Give an answer to my words, O Lord; for your mercy is good: be turned to me, because of your great pity.

Hear me, O LORD; for thy loving-kindness [is] good: turn to me according to the multitude of thy tender mercies.

17 Let not your face be covered from your servant, for I am in trouble; quickly give me an answer.

And hide not thy face from thy servant; for I am in trouble: hear me speedily.

18 Come near to my soul, for its salvation: be my saviour, because of those who are against me.

Draw nigh to my soul, [and] redeem it: deliver me because of my enemies.

19 You have seen my shame, how I was laughed at and made low; my haters are all before you.

Thou hast known my reproach, and my shame, and my dishonor: my adversaries [are] all before thee.

20 My heart is broken by bitter words, I am full of grief; I made a search for some to have pity on me, but there was no one; I had no comforter.

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 poison for my food; and bitter wine for my drink.

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

22 Let their table before them be for their destruction; let their feasts become a net to take them.

Let their table become a snare before them: and [that which should have been] for [their] welfare, [let it become] a trap.

23 Let their eyes be blind so that they may not see; let their bodies for ever be shaking.

Let their eyes be darkened, that they see not; and make their loins continually to shake.

24 Let your curse come on them; let the heat of your wrath overtake them.

Pour out thy indignation upon them, and let thy wrathful anger take hold of them.

25 Give their houses to destruction, and let there be no one in their tents.

Let their habitation be desolate; [and] let none dwell in their tents.

26 Because they are cruel to him against whom your hand is turned; they make bitter the grief of him who is wounded by you.

For they persecute [him] whom thou hast smitten; and they talk to the grief of those whom thou hast wounded.

27 Let their punishment be increased; let them not come into your righteousness.

Add iniquity to their iniquity: and let them not come into thy righteousness.

28 Let their names be taken from the book of the living, let them not be numbered with the upright.

Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous.

29 But I am poor and full of sorrow; let me be lifted up by your salvation, O Lord.

But I [am] poor and sorrowful: let thy salvation, O God, set me up on high.

30 I will give praise to the name of God with a song; I will give glory to him for what he has done.

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

31 This will be more pleasing to the Lord than an ox, or a young ox of full growth.

[This] also shall please the LORD better than an ox [or] bullock that hath horns and hoofs.

32 The poor will see it and be glad: you who are lovers of God, let your hearts have life.

The humble shall see [this], [and] be glad: and your heart shall live that seek God.

33 For the ears of the Lord are open to the poor, and he takes thought for his prisoners.

For the LORD heareth the poor, and despiseth not his prisoners.

34 Let the heavens and the earth give praise to him, the seas, and everything moving in them.

Let the heaven and earth praise him, the seas, and every thing that moveth therein.

35 For God will be the saviour of Zion, and the builder of the towns of Judah; so that it may be their resting-place and heritage.

For God will save Zion, and will build the cities of Judah: that they may dwell there, and have it in possession.

36 The seed of his servants will have their part in it, and there the lovers of his name will have rest.

The seed also of his servants shall inherit it: and they that love his name shall dwell therein.