A psalm written by David for the choir director

69 O God, save me,

because I am in great danger.

It is as though flood water is up to my neck, and I am about to drown [MET].

2 I continue to sink in the deep mud,

and there is no solid ground for me to stand on.

I am in deep water,

and flood waters are swirling around me.

3 I am exhausted from calling out for help;

my throat is very dry.

Because I have cried so much as I have waited for God to help me,

my eyes are swollen.

4 Those who hate me when there is no reason to hate me

are more than the number of hairs on my head [HYP]!

Those who want to get rid of me are strong,

and they tell lies about me.

They demand that I return to them things that I did not steal!

5 O God, ◄you see the sins that I have committed/my sins are not hidden from you►.

You know that I have foolishly disobeyed your laws.

6 O Yahweh God, you who are the commander of the armies of heaven,

do not allow the wrong things that I have done

to cause those who trust in you to be disappointed/disillusioned.

O God, you whom we Israeli people worship,

do not allow me to cause your people to be humiliated.

7 People have insulted/ridiculed me because I am devoted to you.

They have thoroughly humiliated [IDM] me.

8 Even my own older brothers act as if they do not know me;

they treat me like a foreigner.

9 Some people have despised your temple;

but my zeal for keeping your temple holy is like a fire burning inside me.

So it is as though those who are insulting you are also insulting me.

10 When I have humbled myself and ◄fasted/abstained from eating food►

to show my sadness about the disgraceful things that they have done to your temple,

they just insult me.

11 When I put on rough sackcloth to show that I am sad,

they laugh at [IDM] me.

12 Even the elders of the city say bad things about me.

The drunkards of the city sing disgusting songs about me.

13 But Yahweh, I will continue praying to you.

At the time that you choose, answer me and rescue me

because you faithfully love me.

14 Do not allow me to sink any more in the mud.

Rescue me from those who hate me!

Lift me up out of these deep waters!

15 Do not allow flood waters to swirl around me,

do not allow the deep mud to swallow me;

keep me from sinking into the pit of death [MET].

16 O Yahweh, answer my prayer and help me

because you are good and love me faithfully.

17 Do not ◄hide yourself from/refuse to hear► me;

answer me quickly

because I am in great trouble.

18 Come near to me and save me;

rescue me from my enemies.

19 You know that I am insulted

and that people cause me to feel ashamed and dishonored;

you know who all my enemies are.

20 Their insults have deeply offended me,

and I ◄feel helpless/am in despair►.

I searched for someone who would pity me,

but there was no one.

I wanted someone to encourage/comfort me,

but there were none.

21 Instead, they gave me food that tasted like poison,

and when I was thirsty, they gave me sour wine to drink.

22 I hope/desire that the feasts [MTY] that they enjoy will ◄become a snare for/bring trouble to► them,

and that those whom they invite to the sacrificial feasts will also be trapped.

23 I hope/desire that their eyesight will become dim so that they cannot see anything,

and that their backs/bodies will become weaker and weaker.

24 Show them that you are very angry with them!

Because of your great/furious anger, chase after them and catch them.

25 Cause their towns to become abandoned/deserted

and that there will be no one left to live in their tents/houses.

26 Do this because they persecute those whom you have punished,

◄they talk about the sins of/they want to hurt even more► those whom you have wounded.

27 Keep making a record of all their sins,

do not acquit/pardon them for the evil things that they have done.

28 Erase their names [SYN] from the book containing the names of those who have eternal life;

do not include them in the list of righteous people.

29 As for me, I have pain and am suffering.

O God, protect me and rescue me.

30 When God does that, I will sing as I praise God,

and I will honor him by thanking him.

31 My doing that will please Yahweh more than sacrificing oxen,

more than offering him full-grown bulls.

32 Oppressed/Afflicted people will see that God has rescued me,

and they will be glad.

I want all of you who ask God to help you to be encouraged.

33 Yahweh listens to those who are needy;

He does not ignore/forget those who are oppressed/imprisoned.

34 I desire that everything will praise God—

everything that is in heaven and on earth, and all the creatures that are in the seas.

35 God will rescue the people of Jerusalem from their enemies,

and he will rebuild the towns that are in Judah.

His people will live there and again possess the land.

36 The descendants of his people will inherit it,

and those who love him will live there safely.