Add parallel Print Page Options

69 To victory, on the roses of David. God, make thou me safe; for waters have entered unto my soul. (To victory, for the lilies, by David/the psalm, or the song, of David. God, save thou me; for the waters have entered unto my soul!)

I am set in the slime of the depth; and there is no substance. I came into the depth of the sea; and the tempest drenched me [down]. (I am sinking in the slime of the depth; and there is no firm ground beneath me. I came into the depth of the sea; for the tempest hath drowned me.)

I travailed crying, my cheeks were made hoarse; mine eyes failed, the while I hope/d into my God. (I am made weary from crying, my voice is made hoarse; my eyes have failed, yet all the while I have hope/d in my God.)

They that hated me without cause; were multiplied above the hairs of mine head. Mine enemies that pursued me unjustly were comforted; I paid then (for) those things, which I ravished not. (They who hated me for no reason, were greater in number than the hairs of my head. My enemies who unjustly persecuted me were strong; and I was forced to pay for what I did not steal.)

God, thou knowest mine unknowing (God, thou knowest my foolishness, or my ignorance); and my trespasses be not hid from thee.

Lord, Lord of virtues; they, that abide thee, be not ashamed in me. God of Israel; they, that seek thee, be not shamed on me. (Lord, Lord of hosts; let they, who wait for thee, be not shamed by me. God of Israel; let they, who seek thee, be not shamed by me.)

For I suffered shame for thee; shame covered my face.

I am made a stranger to my brethren; and a pilgrim to the sons of my mother.

For the fervent love of thine house ate me (For my fervent love for thy House ate me up, or devoured me); and the shames of men saying shames to thee fell on me.

10 And I covered my soul with fasting; and it was made into shame to me. (I humbled myself by fasting; and I was reproached for even that.)

11 And I putted (for) my cloth an hair-shirt; and I am made to them into a parable. (I had a hair-shirt for my cloak; and for that, I am made into their parable.)

12 They, that sat in the gate, spake against me; and they, that drank wine, sang of me. (They, who sat by the gate, spoke against me; and they, who drank wine, sang about me.)

13 But Lord, I (ad)dress my prayer to thee; God, I abide the time of good pleasance. Hear thou me in the multitude of thy mercy; in the truth of thine health. (But Lord, I direct my prayer to thee; O God, I wait for the time of thy good pleasure. Hear thou me because of thy great love; because of the truth of thy salvation/because of the surety of thy deliverance.)

14 Deliver thou me from the clay, that I be not fast set-in; deliver thou me from them that hate me, and from [the] depths of waters/and from [the] deepness of waters. (Rescue thou me from the clay, so that I do not get stuck in it; save thou me from those who hate me, and from the depths of the waters/and from the deep waters.)

15 The tempest of water drench not me [down], neither the depth swallow me; neither the pit make strait his mouth on me. (Let not the tempest of the water drown me, nor let the depths swallow me; let not the pit close its mouth upon me.)

16 Lord, hear thou me, for thy mercy is benign; after the multitude of thy merciful doings behold thou into me. (Lord, hear thou me, out of the goodness of thy love; and according to the multitude of thy merciful doings, look thou upon me.)

17 And turn not away thy face from thy servant; for I am in tribulation, hear thou me swiftly (for I am in trouble, so answer thou me swiftly).

18 Give thou attention to my soul, and deliver thou it; for mine enemies, deliver thou me. (Give thou attention to me, and save me; save thou me from my enemies/save thou me, for I have many enemies.)

19 Thou knowest my reproof, and my despising; and my shame. All that trouble me be in thy sight; (Thou knowest the reproaches, and the despisings, and the shames that I bear. All who trouble me be before thee;)

20 mine heart abode (in) shame, and wretchedness. And I abode him, that was sorry together (with me), and none was; and that should comfort me, and I found not. (shame and wretchedness live in my heart. And I waited for someone, who would be sad together with me, but there was no one; and someone who would comfort me, but I found no one.)

21 And they gave gall into my meat; and in my thirst they gave to me drink with vinegar. (And they gave me gall for my food; and for my thirst, they gave me vinegar to drink.)

22 The board of them be made before them into a snare; and into yieldings, and into cause of stumbling. (May their own table be made into a snare before them; and may their sacred feasts be made into a trap, yea, the reason for their downfall, or ruin.)

23 Their eyes be made dark, that they see not; and ever[more] bow down the back of them. (May their eyes be made dark, or dim, so that they cannot see; and bow down their backs forevermore/and make their backs crooked forevermore.)

24 Shed out thine ire on them; and the strong vengeance of thine ire take them. (Pour out thy anger upon them; and let the fury of thy anger take hold of them.)

25 The habitation of them be made forsaken; and be there none that dwell in the tabernacles of them. (May their homes be made empty; and may there be none of them left to live in their tents.)

26 For they pursued him, whom thou hast smitten; and they added on(to) the sorrow of my wounds. (For they pursued after those whom thou hast struck down; yea, they added to the sorrow of those whom thou hast wounded.)

27 Add thou wickedness on(to) the wickedness of them; and enter they not into thy rightwiseness.

28 Be they done away from the book of living men; and be they not written with just men. (Let them be done away from The Book of the Living; and let their names be not written in The List of the Righteous.)

29 I am poor and sorrowful; God, thine health took me up. (I am in pain and full of sorrow; God, lift me up, and save me.)

30 I shall praise the name of God with song; and I shall magnify him with praising.

31 And it shall please God more than a new calf bringing forth horns and claws. (And this shall please God more than the offering of a new calf that hath horns and claws.)

32 Poor men see, and be glad; seek ye God, and your soul shall live. (Let the poor see this, and be glad; seek ye God, and ye shall live.)

33 For the Lord heard poor men; and despised not his bound men. (For the Lord heareth the poor; and despiseth not his people who be imprisoned/and despiseth not those who be bound to his service.)

34 Heavens and earth, praise him; the sea, and all creeping beasts in those, praise him. (Let the heavens and the earth praise him; and the seas, and all the things that move in them.)

35 For God shall make safe Zion; and the cities of Judah shall be builded. And they shall dwell there; and they shall get it by heritage. (For God shall save Zion; and he shall rebuild the cities of Judah. And his people shall live there; and they shall have it as their possession.)

36 And the seed of his servants shall have it in possession; and they that love his name, shall dwell therein. (And the children, or the descendants, of his servants shall get it by inheritance; and they who love his name shall live there.)

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