Add parallel Print Page Options

Psalm 69

For the Music Director. To the melody of “Lilies.” A Psalm of David.

Save me, O God!
    For the waters have come up to my throat.
I sink in deep mire;
    there is no standing place;
I have come into the watery depths,
    and a stream overflows me.
I am weary of my crying;
    my throat is parched;
my eyes fail
    while I wait for my God.
Those who hate me without cause
    are more than the hairs of my head;
they are mighty
    who would destroy me, being my wrongful enemies,
so that I must pay back
    what I did not steal.

O God, You know my folly,
    and my sins are not hidden from You.

May those who wait on You,
    O Lord God of Hosts,
    not be ashamed because of me;
may those who seek You
    not be humiliated because of me,
    O God of Israel.
Because for Your sake I have endured insult;
    humiliation has covered my face.
I have become estranged to my relatives,
    and a foreigner to my mother’s children;
for the zeal of Your house has consumed me,
    and the insults of those who insulted You fell on me.
10 When I wept with fasting for my soul,
    it became an insult to me.
11 I also made sackcloth my garment,
    and I became a byword to them.
12 Those who sit in the gate speak against me,
    and I am the song of the drunkards.

13 But as for me, my prayer is to You, O Lord;
    in an acceptable time, O God,
in the abundance of Your mercy,
    answer me in the truth of Your salvation.
14 Deliver me out of the mire
    that I may not sink;
may I be delivered from those who hate me,
    and out of the watery depths.
15 May the stream not overflow me;
    neither may the deep swallow me up,
    nor the pit close its mouth on me.

16 Answer me, O Lord, for Your lovingkindness is good;
    turn Your face to me according to the abundance of Your tender mercies.
17 Do not hide Your face from Your servant,
    for I am in trouble; answer me quickly.
18 Draw near to my soul, and redeem it;
    deliver me because of my enemies.

19 You have known how I am insulted, and my shame and my dishonor;
    my adversaries are all before You.
20 Insults have broken my heart,
    and I am sick;
and I looked for some to take pity, but there was none;
    and for comforters, but I found none.
21 They also gave me poison for my food,
    and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.

22 May their table become a snare before them,
    and may security become a trap.
23 May their eyes be darkened so they do not see,
    and make their sides shake continually.
24 Pour out Your indignation on them,
    and may Your wrathful anger overtake them.
25 May their habitation be desolate,
    and may no one dwell in their tents.
26 For they persecute him whom You have struck down,
    and they recount the pain of those You have wounded.
27 Add punishment to their iniquity,
    and do not let them come into Your righteousness.
28 Let them be blotted out of the book of the living,
    and not be written along with the righteous.

29 But I am poor and in pain;
    may Your salvation, O God, set me secure on high.

30 I will praise the name of God with a song,
    and will magnify Him with thanksgiving.
31 This also will please the Lord
    more than an ox or bull with horns and hoofs.
32 The humble will see this and be glad;
    and you who seek God, may your heart live.
33 For the Lord hears the poor,
    and does not despise His prisoners.

34 Let heaven and earth praise Him,
    the seas and everything that moves in them.
35 For God will save Zion,
    and will build the cities of Judah;
that they may dwell there, and take possession of it.
36     The descendants of His servants will inherit it;
    and those who love His name will dwell in it.

Psalm 69[a]

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

Save me, O God,
    for the waters(A) have come up to my neck.(B)
I sink in the miry depths,(C)
    where there is no foothold.
I have come into the deep waters;
    the floods engulf me.
I am worn out calling for help;(D)
    my throat is parched.
My eyes fail,(E)
    looking for my God.
Those who hate me(F) without reason(G)
    outnumber the hairs of my head;
many are my enemies without cause,(H)
    those who seek to destroy me.(I)
I am forced to restore
    what I did not steal.

You, God, know my folly;(J)
    my guilt is not hidden from you.(K)

Lord, 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.
For I endure scorn(L) for your sake,(M)
    and shame covers my face.(N)
I am a foreigner to my own family,
    a stranger to my own mother’s children;(O)
for zeal for your house consumes me,(P)
    and the insults of those who insult you fall on me.(Q)
10 When I weep and fast,(R)
    I must endure scorn;
11 when I put on sackcloth,(S)
    people make sport of me.
12 Those who sit at the gate(T) mock me,
    and I am the song of the drunkards.(U)

13 But I pray to you, Lord,
    in the time of your favor;(V)
in your great love,(W) O God,
    answer me with your sure salvation.
14 Rescue me from the mire,
    do not let me sink;
deliver me from those who hate me,
    from the deep waters.(X)
15 Do not let the floodwaters(Y) engulf me
    or the depths swallow me up(Z)
    or the pit close its mouth over me.(AA)

16 Answer me, Lord, out of the goodness of your love;(AB)
    in your great mercy turn to me.
17 Do not hide your face(AC) from your servant;
    answer me quickly,(AD) for I am in trouble.(AE)
18 Come near and rescue me;
    deliver(AF) me because of my foes.

19 You know how I am scorned,(AG) disgraced and shamed;
    all my enemies are before you.
20 Scorn has broken my heart
    and has left me helpless;
I looked for sympathy, but there was none,
    for comforters,(AH) but I found none.(AI)
21 They put gall in my food
    and gave me vinegar(AJ) for my thirst.(AK)

22 May the table set before them become a snare;
    may it become retribution and[b] a trap.(AL)
23 May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see,
    and their backs be bent forever.(AM)
24 Pour out your wrath(AN) on them;
    let your fierce anger overtake them.
25 May their place be deserted;(AO)
    let there be no one to dwell in their tents.(AP)
26 For they persecute those you wound
    and talk about the pain of those you hurt.(AQ)
27 Charge them with crime upon crime;(AR)
    do not let them share in your salvation.(AS)
28 May they be blotted out of the book of life(AT)
    and not be listed with the righteous.(AU)

29 But as for me, afflicted and in pain—
    may your salvation, God, protect me.(AV)

30 I will praise God’s name in song(AW)
    and glorify him(AX) with thanksgiving.
31 This will please the Lord more than an ox,
    more than a bull with its horns and hooves.(AY)
32 The poor will see and be glad(AZ)
    you who seek God, may your hearts live!(BA)
33 The Lord hears the needy(BB)
    and does not despise his captive people.

34 Let heaven and earth praise him,
    the seas and all that move in them,(BC)
35 for God will save Zion(BD)
    and rebuild the cities of Judah.(BE)
Then people will settle there and possess it;
36     the children of his servants will inherit it,(BF)
    and those who love his name will dwell there.(BG)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 69:1 In Hebrew texts 69:1-36 is numbered 69:2-37.
  2. Psalm 69:22 Or snare / and their fellowship become