For the musical director: a song by David to be sung to the tune of ‘Lilies’.

69 Save me, God, because the waters have reached my neck.

2 I sink in deep mud where there’s nowhere to stand.

≈ I have come into deep waters where the floods flow over me.

3 I’m exhausted from my crying for help—my throat is dry.

My eyes have failed while I’ve been waiting for my god.

4 There’s more people who hate me without even knowing why, than there are hairs on my head.

≈ I have many enemies who want to destroy me, but for no good reason.

I’m forced to ‘give back’ what I didn’t steal in the first place.

5 God, you know the silly things that I do,

and none of my sins can be hidden from you.

6 Don’t let those who hope in you be put to shame because of me, my master, army commander Yahweh.

≈ Don’t let those who need your help be humiliated because of me, God of Yisrael.

7 I’ve been ridiculed for following you—

≈ shame has covered my face.

8 I’ve become a stranger to my siblings—

≈ yes, a foreigner to my mother’s children

9 because my zeal for your temple has eaten me up,

and the rebukes of those who rebuke you have fallen on me.

10 When I wept and chose not to eat,

they insulted me.

11 When I put on rough sackcloth,

they just turned me into a joke.

12 Those who sit around the community court talk about me,

and drunkards sing about me.

13 Even so, my prayer is to you, Yahweh,

when you’re feeling favourable towards me.

From the strength of your loyal commitment,

answer me for sure by rescuing me.

14 Pull me out of the mud, and don’t let me sink.

≈ Rescue me from those who hate me, and from deep waters.

15 Don’t let the floods of water overwhelm me,

or let the deep swallow me up.

Don’t let the pit close its mouth over me.

16 Answer me, Yahweh, because your loyal commitment is good.

≈ Turn to me because you’ve shown so much mercy towards me.

17 Don’t hide from me, your servant.

≈ Answer me quickly, because I’m in distress.

18 Come to me and redeem me.

Ransom me because of my enemies.

19 You know my rebuke, my shame, and my dishonour.

All my adversaries report my failings to you.

20 Their insults have broken my heart—I’m full of heaviness.

I looked for someone to take pity, but no one was there.

≈ I looked for someone to encourage me, but I didn’t find anyone.

21 They gave me poison to eat.

≈ When I was thirsty, they gave me vinegar to drink.

22 Let their table become a snare to catch them in their own schemes.

≈ When they think they’re safe, let it become a trap.

23 Let their eyes be darkened so they won’t be able to see anything,

and make their legs continually shake.

24 Pour your indignation out on them,

≈ and let the fierceness of your anger overtake them.

25 Let their place become uninhabited.

≈ Don’t let anyone live in their tents

26 because they persecuted the one you struck down.

≈ They multiplied the pain of those that you had already wounded.

27 Add sin after sin to their record.

≈ Don’t let them try to tell you about their ‘innocence’.

28 Let them be blotted out of the book of life

≈ and not have their names written down along with the names of the godly.

29 As for me, I’m suffering and in pain.

Yes God, protect me and rescue me.

30 I’ll praise God with a song

≈ and with thankfulness, I’ll tell about his goodness.

31 That will please Yahweh better than sacrificing a cow,

≈ or a physical bull that has horns and hooves.

32 Humble people will see it and be glad.

You who want to obey God, let your hearts live

33 because Yahweh listens to the poor,

and he doesn’t despise his people when they’re imprisoned.

34 Let heaven and earth praise him,

including the seas and everything in them that moves.

35 For God will save Tsiyyon (Zion)

and will rebuild the cities of Yehudah.

The people will live there and have it for their own.

36 The descendants of his people will inherit it,

and those who love him will live there safely.