Psalms 69

1 “To the chief musician upon Shoshannim, by David.” Save me, O God; for the waters are come even to threaten my life.

For the music director. To the tune “Lilies.” A psalm of David. God, please save me, because the water is up to my neck!

2 I am sunk in the mire of the deep, where there is no standing; I am come into the depths of the waters, and the flood overfloweth me.

I'm sinking deeper into the mud—there's no solid ground for me to stand. I find myself in deep water; floods wash over me.

3 I am weary of my calling; my throat is hoarse; my eyes fail, while I hope for my God.

I'm so tired of screaming out for help my throat is totally raw. My eyes are worn out looking for my God to help me.

4 More than the hairs of my head are those that hate me without a cause; numerous are those that would destroy me, that are my enemies wrongfully: what I have not robbed shall I now restore.

Those who hate me for no reason are more than the number of hairs on my head. Many enemies try to destroy me by telling lies. How can I give back what I didn't steal?

5 O God, thou art well aware of my folly, and my guilty deeds are from thee not hidden.

God, you know how foolish I am! My sins are not hidden from you.

6 Let not those that wait on thee, O Lord Eternal of hosts, be made ashamed through me: let not those that seek thee be confounded through me, O God of Israel.

Don't let those who trust you be ashamed because of me, Lord God Almighty. Don't let those who follow you be disgraced because of me, God of Israel.

7 Because for thy sake have I borne reproach, hath confusion covered my face.

For your sake I put up with the insults; my face shows my embarrassment.

8 A stranger am I become unto my brothers, and an alien unto my mother's children.

I have become a foreigner to my brother Israelites; a stranger to my very own brothers.

9 Because the zeal for thy house hath devoured me; and the reproaches of those that reproached thee are fallen upon me.

My devotion for your house is burning me up inside; the insults of those who insulted you have fallen on me.

10 When I wept at the fasting of my soul, it became a reproach to me.

I wept and I fasted, but they mocked me;

11 And when I made sackcloth my garment, I became a proverb to them.

I mourned in sackcloth, but they laughed at me.

12 Those that sit in the gate talk against me; and [about me make] songs the drinkers of strong drink.

People sitting by the town gate gossip about me. I'm the subject of rude songs sung by drunks.

13 But as for me, I direct my prayer unto thee, O Lord, in a time of favor; O God, in the multitude of thy kindness: answer me in the truth of thy salvation.

But my prayer is to you, Lord, believing this is a good time to respond to me. God, in your wonderful trustworthy love, answer me with your sure salvation.

14 Deliver me out of the mire, that I may not sink: let me be delivered from those that hate me, and out of the depths of the waters.

Please rescue me from the mud—don't let me sink! Save me from those who hate me and from drowning in the deep waters!

15 Let not the flood of waters overflow me, and let not the deep swallow me up, and let not the pit close its mouth upon me.

Don't let the flood waters wash over me. Don't let the deep waters pull me down. Don't let the grave close over me.

16 Answer me, O Lord; for thy kindness is good: according to the multitude of thy mercies turn thou unto me.

Please answer my prayers, Lord, for you are good and love me with your trustworthy love; because of your kindness, please help me.

17 And hide not thy face from thy servant; for I am in distress: make haste and answer me.

Don't turn away from me, your servant. Please answer me quickly because I'm in trouble.

18 Draw nigh unto my soul, and redeem it: because of my enemies do thou ransom me.

Come here and rescue me; set me free from my enemies.

19 Thou well knowest my reproach, and my shame, and my confusion: before thee are all my assailants.

You—you know my shame, my disgrace, my humiliation. You see everything my enemies are doing.

20 Reproach hath broken my heart; and I am sick; and I waited for pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none.

Insults have broken my heart—I am so sick there is no cure. I looked for some sympathy, but there was no one! Nobody showed me any compassion.

21 And they put into my food gall; and in my thirst they give me vinegar to drink.

Instead they gave me bitter herbs to eat and vinegar to drink.

22 May [then] their table become a snare before them: and to those that are at peace, a trap.

May the table set before them become a trap for them, a net that catches them, bringing punishment.

23 May their eyes become dark, that they cannot see; and make their loins continually to waver.

May their eyes become blind so they cannot see, and may their backs always be bent low in dejection.

24 Pour out over them thy indignation, and let the heat of thy anger overtake them.

Pour out your judgment on them; chase them down in your fierce anger.

25 May their palace become desolate: in their tents let no one dwell.

Let the places where they live be deserted. Let their homes be abandoned.

26 For whom thou hast smitten they persecute; and of the pain of those whom thou but wounded do they converse.

For they persecute those you have punished, and make it even more painful for those you have disciplined.

27 Lay guilt upon their guilt; and let them not come into thy righteousness.

Punish them for the evil they have done. Don't acquit them.

28 Let them be blotted out of the book of the living; and with the righteous let them not be written down.

Blot out their names from the Book of Life. Don't let them be listed with those who do right.

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

But I am suffering and in physical pain. God, please save me and keep me safe.

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

I will praise God's character in song; I will say how incredible he is and how thankful I am.

31 And this will please the Lord better than an ox or bullock having horns and cloven hoofs.

The Lord is happier with this than with offering animals as sacrifices: cattle, or bulls with horns and hooves.

32 The meek will see this, and be rejoiced: ye that seek God, and your heart shall revive.

The humble will see this and be happy. May God encourage everyone who comes to him.

33 For the Lord listeneth unto the needy, and his prisoners he despiseth not.

God hears the poor, and he does not ignore his people who are in prison.

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

Praise him heaven and earth, the seas and everything that lives in them!

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

For God will save Zion, and rebuild the cities of Judah. They will live there and own the land.

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

The descendants of those who follow him will inherit the land, and those who love him will live there.