Psalms 69:1-21

1Please rescue me, God, because the deep water has come up to my neck.

2I will soon sink into deep mud. There is no safe place to put my feet. I am now in deep water, and the floods pour over me.

3I have shouted so much for help that I am tired and weak. My mouth is so dry that it hurts. I have looked so long for help from you, my God, that my eyes have become weak.

4Very many people hate me with no good reason. They are more than the number of hairs on my head! My enemies are too strong for me. They want to destroy me with their lies. They make me give back to them things that I did not take from them!

5You know, God, that I do foolish things. I cannot hide my sins from you.

6My Lord, Almighty Lord, Israel's God, do not let anyone who trusts you become ashamed because of me. Do not let anyone who serves you become ashamed because of me.

7Because I belong to you, people insult me. They make me feel ashamed.

8I have become like a stranger to my brothers. I am like a foreigner to my family.

9My love for your house burns inside me like a fire. Anybody who insults you, is also insulting me!

10When I weep and I stop eating food, it causes people to insult me.

11When I wear rough clothes to show that I am sad, people laugh at me.

12People who sit at the city gate talk about me. People who are drunk make songs to sing about me.

13But as for me, Lord, I continue to pray to you. Please answer me at the right time. Be kind to me, God, because of your faithful love. Save me, as you have promised to do.

14Save me out of the mud and do not let me sink down into it. Rescue me from the people that hate me. Save me from the deep water.

15Do not let the floods pour over me. Do not let the deep sea cause me to drown. Do not let me fall into the deep hole of death.

16Please answer me, Lord, because your faithful love is great. Turn to hear me, because you are so very kind.

17Do not turn away from me, your servant. I am in great trouble, so please answer me very soon.

18Come very near to me, and make me safe. Rescue me from my enemies.

19God, you know that people are insulting me. They laugh at me to make me feel ashamed. You can see what all my enemies are doing.

20When they insult me, it makes me very upset. I feel helpless. I hoped that someone would be kind and help me, but there was nobody. I wanted someone to comfort me, but I did not find anyone.

21Instead, my enemies put poison in my food. When I was thirsty, they gave me vinegar to drink.