Psalms 69

1O God, please save me. The water has come up to my neck.

2I have sunk deep into the mud, and there is nothing that I can stand on. I have come into deep water, and the water flood flows over me.

3I am getting weak from calling for helpI My throat is dry. My eyes fail while I wait with confident for my God.

4There are more people who hate me than there are hairs on my head, but I have done nothing wrong, but they are my enemies. My enemies are strong and I am forced to restore what I did not steal.

5God, you know my faults. I cannot hide my sins from you.

6My Lord, God Almighty, there are people who believe in You. Please don’t let them be ashamed because of the wrong things that I have done. Don’t let your people be humiliated because of my sins.

7It is because I belong to You, my God that people say bad things to me and humiliate me.

8My own brothers don’t know me anymore, and I am like a stranger to my family.

9My strong love for your temple feels like a fire burning in me. My strong devotion to your Temple is destroying me. Those who insult you are also insulting me.

10When I cried and fasted and humbled myself, they laughed at me.

11When I wear sackcloth to show my sorrow, they tell jokes about me.

12The people at the gate say bad things about me and the drunk people mock me by singing songs about me.

13But I will pray to You, O Lord. Please answer me and help me when You think the time is right. Your love never ends. You are a faithful God.

14Please save me from the mud, because I am going down into it. Please save me from those people who hate me. Please take me out of the deep water.

15Don’t let the water flood flow over me, don’t let the deep-water swallow me and don’t let the grave close its mouth over me.

16Lord, hear me when I cry to you for help. Because of the goodness of your faithful love and because of your great kindness you will turn to me and help me!

17Lord, Do not turn away from your servant. I am in trouble, so hurry and help me.

18Come to me, come very near to me and set me free. Please save me from my enemies.

19You can see how they mock and humiliate me and what bad things they say to me. You know who my enemies are.

20I feel broken and weak because of all the things they have said to me. The shame makes me feel like dying! I looked for someone to feel sorry for me, but there was no one. I wanted someone to comfort me, but I found no one.

21When I asked for food, they gave me poison, and when I was thirsty, they gave me vinegar to drink.

22Please punish them when they are having a feast. When they think there is peace, let them fall into a trap.

23Make them blind so that they cannot see and make their legs lame so that they cannot walk.

24Show them how angry You are with them and don’t let them escape from You.

25Make their homes empty. Don’t let anyone live there.

26They try to hurt people you have already punished. They tell everyone about the suffering you gave them.

27Please punish them for everything that they have done wrong. Don’t say they are innocent and don’t forgive them.

28Take their names out of the book of life and don’t write down their names with the names of the people who are righteous.

29But I am sorrowful and in pain; May Your salvation, O God, set me on high.

30I will sing and praise the name of God. I will tell everyone how great He is and thank Him for everything.

31This will please the Lord more than sacrificing an ox or giving Him an offering of a bull with horns and hooves.

32When the humble people see this, they will be happy. Those who seek God with all their heart live.

33The Lord listens when poor people pray to Him. His people who are prisoners do not reject.

34Heaven and earth must praise the Lord, and so must the sea and everything in it.

35God will save Zion and He will build the cities of Judah again. His people will live there and the land will belong to them.

36The descendants of his servants will inherit the land and the people who love his name.