Psalms 69

Save me, O God; for the waters are come in unto my soul.

1Save me, O God! The water is up to my neck.

2I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing: I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me.

2I am sinking in deep mud. There is nothing to stand on. I am out in deep water, and the flood is going over me.

3I am weary of my crying: my throat is dried: mine eyes fail while I wait for my God.

3I am tired from crying. My throat is dry. My eyes hurt from looking for my God to come.

4They that hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of mine head: they that would destroy me, being mine enemies wrongfully, are mighty: then I restored that which I took not away.

4People hate me for no reason at all. There are more of them than the hairs on my head. Many strong people want to destroy me, and I did nothing to them. They make me pay back things I never took.

5O God, thou knowest my foolishness; and my sins are not hid from thee.

5God, you know the foolish things I do. You see all my sins.

6Let not them that wait on thee, O Lord GOD of hosts, be ashamed for my sake: let not those that seek thee be confounded for my sake, O God of Israel.

6Lord God, you rule over everything. Do not let me bring shame on the people who wait for you. God of Israel, do not let me embarrass the people who look for you.

7Because for thy sake I have borne reproach; shame hath covered my face.

7People say mean things about me because I belong to you. My face is red with shame.

8I am become a stranger unto my brethren, and an alien unto my mother’s children.

8My own brothers act like they do not know me. My mother's sons treat me like a stranger.

9For the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up; and the reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me.

9I love your house, the temple, so much that it burns inside me. People insult you, and their insults land on me.

10When I wept, and chastened my soul with fasting, that was to my reproach.

10I cried and went without food to show God I was sorry. People made fun of me for that.

11I made sackcloth also my garment; and I became a proverb to them.

11I wore rough, scratchy cloth to show how sad I was. People joked about me.

12They that sit in the gate speak against me; and I was the song of the drunkards.

12The leaders at the town gate talk against me. Drunk men make up songs about me.

NoteTown gates were where leaders met and decided cases. So these are important men talking against him.

13But as for me, my prayer is unto thee, O LORD, in an acceptable time: O God, in the multitude of thy mercy hear me, in the truth of thy salvation.

13But I pray to you, LORD. I hope you will answer at a good time. God, your love is so big. Answer me and save me, just as you promised.

14Deliver me out of the mire, and let me not sink: let me be delivered from them that hate me, and out of the deep waters.

14Pull me out of the mud. Do not let me sink. Save me from the people who hate me. Pull me out of the deep water.

15Let not the waterflood overflow me, neither let the deep swallow me up, and let not the pit shut her mouth upon me.

15Do not let the flood cover me. Do not let the deep water swallow me. Do not let the pit close its mouth over me.

16Hear me, O LORD; for thy lovingkindness is good: turn unto me according to the multitude of thy tender mercies.

16Answer me, LORD, because your love is good. Turn and look at me. You have so much kindness.

17And hide not thy face from thy servant; for I am in trouble: hear me speedily.

17Do not turn your face away from me. I serve you, and I am in trouble. Please answer me fast.

18Draw nigh unto my soul, and redeem it: deliver me because of mine enemies.

18Come close to me and set me free. Save me, because my enemies are near.

19Thou hast known my reproach, and my shame, and my dishonour: mine adversaries are all before thee.

19You know how they shame me and put me down. You can see every one of my enemies.

20Reproach hath broken my heart; and I am full of heaviness: and I looked for some to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none.

20Their mean words have broken my heart. I feel very heavy and sad. I looked for someone to feel sorry for me, but no one did. I looked for someone to comfort me, and I found no one.

21They gave me also gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.

21They put something bitter in my food. When I was thirsty, they gave me sour wine to drink.

NoteGall was a bitter, nasty plant juice. Vinegar was cheap sour wine. Both tasted terrible.

22Let their table become a snare before them: and that which should have been for their welfare, let it become a trap.

22Let the food on their table become a trap for them. Let the good things they enjoy catch them.

23Let their eyes be darkened, that they see not; and make their loins continually to shake.

23Let their eyes go dark so they cannot see. Let their backs bend and shake.

24Pour out thine indignation upon them, and let thy wrathful anger take hold of them.

24Pour out your anger on them. Let your hot anger catch up with them.

25Let their habitation be desolate; and let none dwell in their tents.

25Let the place where they live be empty. Let no one live in their tents.

26For they persecute him whom thou hast smitten; and they talk to the grief of those whom thou hast wounded.

26They chase the man you have already hurt. They talk about the pain of people you wounded.

27Add iniquity unto their iniquity: and let them not come into thy righteousness.

27Count every wrong thing they do. Do not let them share in your goodness.

28Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous.

28Take their names out of the book of the living. Do not list them with the good people.

NoteThe book of the living was like a list of the names of everyone who is alive.

29But I am poor and sorrowful: let thy salvation, O God, set me up on high.

29But I am hurting and sad. God, save me and set me up in a safe, high place.

30I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving.

30I will sing a song to praise God's name. I will thank him and tell how great he is.

31This also shall please the LORD better than an ox or bullock that hath horns and hoofs.

31That will please the LORD more than giving him an ox. It pleases him more than a big bull with horns and hooves.

32The humble shall see this, and be glad: and your heart shall live that seek God.

32Humble people will see this and be glad. You who look for God, let your hearts come alive.

33For the LORD heareth the poor, and despiseth not his prisoners.

33The LORD listens to poor people. He does not turn away his people who are locked up.

34Let the heaven and earth praise him, the seas, and every thing that moveth therein.

34Let the heavens and the earth praise him. Let the seas praise him, and everything that moves in them.

35For God will save Zion, and will build the cities of Judah: that they may dwell there, and have it in possession.

35God will save Zion, his city. He will build up the towns of Judah again. Then his people will live there and own the land.

36The seed also of his servants shall inherit it: and they that love his name shall dwell therein.

36The children of his servants will get that land. People who love his name will live there.