Psalm 69-73

New International Version

⁵ You, God, know my folly;^(J)
    my guilt is not hidden from you.^(K)

⁶ Lord, the Lord Almighty,
    may those who hope in you
    not be disgraced because of me;
God of Israel,
    may those who seek you
    not be put to shame because of me.
⁷ For I endure scorn^(L) for your sake,^(M)
    and shame covers my face.^(N)
8 I am a foreigner to my own family,
    a stranger to my own mother’s children;^(O)
9 for zeal for your house consumes me,^(P)
    and the insults of those who insult you fall on me.^(Q)
10 When I weep and fast,^(R)
    I must endure scorn;
¹¹ when I put on sackcloth,^(S)
    people make sport of me.
¹² Those who sit at the gate^(T) mock me,
    and I am the song of the drunkards.^(U)

¹³ But I pray to you, Lord,
    in the time of your favor;^(V)
in your great love,^(W) O God,
    answer me with your sure salvation.
¹⁴ Rescue me from the mire,
    do not let me sink;
deliver me from those who hate me,
    from the deep waters.^(X)
15 Do not let the floodwaters^(Y) engulf me
    or the depths swallow me up^(Z)
    or the pit close its mouth over me.^(AA)

¹⁶ Answer me, Lord, out of the goodness of your love;^(AB)
    in your great mercy turn to me.
¹⁷ Do not hide your face^(AC) from your servant;
    answer me quickly,^(AD) for I am in trouble.^(AE)
18 Come near and rescue me;
    deliver^(AF) me because of my foes.

¹⁹ You know how I am scorned,^(AG) disgraced and shamed;
    all my enemies are before you.
²⁰ Scorn has broken my heart
    and has left me helpless;
I looked for sympathy, but there was none,
    for comforters,^(AH) but I found none.^(AI)
21 They put gall in my food
    and gave me vinegar^(AJ) for my thirst.^(AK)

²² May the table set before them become a snare;
    may it become retribution and^[b] a trap.^(AL)
23 May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see,
    and their backs be bent forever.^(AM)
24 Pour out your wrath^(AN) on them;
    let your fierce anger overtake them.
²⁵ May their place be deserted;^(AO)
    let there be no one to dwell in their tents.^(AP)
26 For they persecute those you wound
    and talk about the pain of those you hurt.^(AQ)
27 Charge them with crime upon crime;^(AR)
    do not let them share in your salvation.^(AS)
28 May they be blotted out of the book of life^(AT)
    and not be listed with the righteous.^(AU)

²⁹ But as for me, afflicted and in pain—
    may your salvation, God, protect me.^(AV)

³⁰ I will praise God’s name in song^(AW)
    and glorify him^(AX) with thanksgiving.
³¹ This will please the Lord more than an ox,
    more than a bull with its horns and hooves.^(AY)
32 The poor will see and be glad^(AZ)—
    you who seek God, may your hearts live!^(BA)
33 The Lord hears the needy^(BB)
    and does not despise his captive people.

³⁴ Let heaven and earth praise him,
    the seas and all that move in them,^(BC)
35 for God will save Zion^(BD)
    and rebuild the cities of Judah.^(BE)
Then people will settle there and possess it;
³⁶     the children of his servants will inherit it,^(BF)
    and those who love his name will dwell there.^(BG)

² May those who want to take my life^(BJ)
    be put to shame and confusion;
may all who desire my ruin
    be turned back in disgrace.^(BK)
3 May those who say to me, “Aha! Aha!”^(BL)
    turn back because of their shame.
⁴ But may all who seek you^(BM)
    rejoice and be glad^(BN) in you;
may those who long for your saving help always say,
    “The Lord is great!”^(BO)

⁵ But as for me, I am poor and needy;^(BP)
    come quickly to me,^(BQ) O God.
You are my help^(BR) and my deliverer;^(BS)
    Lord, do not delay.^(BT)

⁵ For you have been my hope,^(CC) Sovereign Lord,
    my confidence^(CD) since my youth.
⁶ From birth^(CE) I have relied on you;
    you brought me forth from my mother’s womb.^(CF)
    I will ever praise^(CG) you.
⁷ I have become a sign^(CH) to many;
    you are my strong refuge.^(CI)
8 My mouth^(CJ) is filled with your praise,
    declaring your splendor^(CK) all day long.

⁹ Do not cast^(CL) me away when I am old;^(CM)
    do not forsake^(CN) me when my strength is gone.
¹⁰ For my enemies^(CO) speak against me;
    those who wait to kill^(CP) me conspire^(CQ) together.
¹¹ They say, “God has forsaken^(CR) him;
    pursue him and seize him,
    for no one will rescue^(CS) him.”
¹² Do not be far^(CT) from me, my God;
    come quickly, God, to help^(CU) me.
¹³ May my accusers^(CV) perish in shame;^(CW)
    may those who want to harm me
    be covered with scorn and disgrace.^(CX)

¹⁴ As for me, I will always have hope;^(CY)
    I will praise you more and more.

¹⁵ My mouth will tell^(CZ) of your righteous deeds,^(DA)
    of your saving acts all day long—
    though I know not how to relate them all.
¹⁶ I will come and proclaim your mighty acts,^(DB) Sovereign Lord;
    I will proclaim your righteous deeds, yours alone.
¹⁷ Since my youth, God, you have taught^(DC) me,
    and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds.^(DD)
18 Even when I am old and gray,^(DE)
    do not forsake me, my God,
till I declare your power^(DF) to the next generation,
    your mighty acts to all who are to come.^(DG)

¹⁹ Your righteousness, God, reaches to the heavens,^(DH)
    you who have done great things.^(DI)
    Who is like you, God?^(DJ)
20 Though you have made me see troubles,^(DK)
    many and bitter,
    you will restore^(DL) my life again;
from the depths of the earth^(DM)
    you will again bring me up.
²¹ You will increase my honor^(DN)
    and comfort^(DO) me once more.

²² I will praise you with the harp^(DP)
    for your faithfulness, my God;
I will sing praise to you with the lyre,^(DQ)
    Holy One of Israel.^(DR)
23 My lips will shout for joy^(DS)
    when I sing praise to you—
    I whom you have delivered.^(DT)
24 My tongue will tell of your righteous acts
    all day long,^(DU)
for those who wanted to harm me^(DV)
    have been put to shame and confusion.^(DW)

³ May the mountains bring prosperity to the people,
    the hills the fruit of righteousness.
⁴ May he defend the afflicted^(DZ) among the people
    and save the children of the needy;^(EA)
    may he crush the oppressor.^(EB)
5 May he endure^[d](EC) as long as the sun,
    as long as the moon, through all generations.^(ED)
6 May he be like rain^(EE) falling on a mown field,
    like showers watering the earth.
⁷ In his days may the righteous flourish^(EF)
    and prosperity abound till the moon is no more.

⁸ May he rule from sea to sea
    and from the River^[e](EG) to the ends of the earth.^(EH)
9 May the desert tribes bow before him
    and his enemies lick the dust.
¹⁰ May the kings of Tarshish^(EI) and of distant shores^(EJ)
    bring tribute to him.
May the kings of Sheba^(EK) and Seba
    present him gifts.^(EL)
11 May all kings bow down^(EM) to him
    and all nations serve^(EN) him.

¹² For he will deliver the needy who cry out,
    the afflicted who have no one to help.
¹³ He will take pity^(EO) on the weak and the needy
    and save the needy from death.
¹⁴ He will rescue^(EP) them from oppression and violence,
    for precious^(EQ) is their blood in his sight.

¹⁵ Long may he live!
    May gold from Sheba^(ER) be given him.
May people ever pray for him
    and bless him all day long.^(ES)
16 May grain^(ET) abound throughout the land;
    on the tops of the hills may it sway.
May the crops^(EU) flourish like Lebanon^(EV)
    and thrive^[f] like the grass of the field.^(EW)
17 May his name endure forever;^(EX)
    may it continue as long as the sun.^(EY)

Then all nations will be blessed through him,^[g]
    and they will call him blessed.^(EZ)

¹⁸ Praise be to the Lord God, the God of Israel,^(FA)
    who alone does marvelous deeds.^(FB)
19 Praise be to his glorious name^(FC) forever;
    may the whole earth be filled with his glory.^(FD)
Amen and Amen.^(FE)

²⁰ This concludes the prayers of David son of Jesse.^(FF)

² But as for me, my feet had almost slipped;^(FH)
    I had nearly lost my foothold.^(FI)
3 For I envied^(FJ) the arrogant
    when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.^(FK)

⁴ They have no struggles;
    their bodies are healthy and strong.^[h]
5 They are free^(FL) from common human burdens;
    they are not plagued by human ills.
⁶ Therefore pride^(FM) is their necklace;^(FN)
    they clothe themselves with violence.^(FO)
7 From their callous hearts^(FP) comes iniquity^[i];
    their evil imaginations have no limits.
⁸ They scoff, and speak with malice;^(FQ)
    with arrogance^(FR) they threaten oppression.^(FS)
9 Their mouths lay claim to heaven,
    and their tongues take possession of the earth.
¹⁰ Therefore their people turn to them
    and drink up waters in abundance.^[j]
11 They say, “How would God know?
    Does the Most High know anything?”

¹² This is what the wicked are like—
    always free of care,^(FT) they go on amassing wealth.^(FU)

¹³ Surely in vain^(FV) I have kept my heart pure
    and have washed my hands in innocence.^(FW)
14 All day long I have been afflicted,^(FX)
    and every morning brings new punishments.

¹⁵ If I had spoken out like that,
    I would have betrayed your children.
¹⁶ When I tried to understand^(FY) all this,
    it troubled me deeply
¹⁷ till I entered the sanctuary^(FZ) of God;
    then I understood their final destiny.^(GA)

¹⁸ Surely you place them on slippery ground;^(GB)
    you cast them down to ruin.^(GC)
19 How suddenly^(GD) are they destroyed,
    completely swept away^(GE) by terrors!
²⁰ They are like a dream^(GF) when one awakes;^(GG)
    when you arise, Lord,
    you will despise them as fantasies.^(GH)

²¹ When my heart was grieved
    and my spirit embittered,
²² I was senseless^(GI) and ignorant;
    I was a brute beast^(GJ) before you.

²³ Yet I am always with you;
    you hold me by my right hand.^(GK)
24 You guide^(GL) me with your counsel,^(GM)
    and afterward you will take me into glory.
²⁵ Whom have I in heaven but you?^(GN)
    And earth has nothing I desire besides you.^(GO)
26 My flesh and my heart^(GP) may fail,^(GQ)
    but God is the strength^(GR) of my heart
    and my portion^(GS) forever.

²⁷ Those who are far from you will perish;^(GT)
    you destroy all who are unfaithful^(GU) to you.
²⁸ But as for me, it is good to be near God.^(GV)
    I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge;^(GW)
    I will tell of all your deeds.^(GX)