1 S ave me, O God, For the waters have threatened my life.

Save me, O God, for the waters have come up to my neck.

2 I have sunk in deep mire, and there is no foothold; I have come into deep waters, and a flood overflows me.

I sink in deep mire, where there is no foothold; I have come into deep waters, where the floods overwhelm me.

3 I am weary with my crying; my throat is parched; My eyes fail while I wait for my God.

I am weary with my crying; my throat is parched; my eyes fail with waiting for my God.

4 T hose who hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of my head; Those who would destroy me are powerful, being wrongfully my enemies; What I did not steal, I then have to restore.

Those who hate me without cause are more than the hairs of my head; those who would cut me off and destroy me, being my enemies wrongfully, are many and mighty. I am to restore what I did not steal.

5 O God, it is You who knows my folly, And my wrongs are not hidden from You.

O God, You know my folly and blundering; my sins and my guilt are not hidden from You.

6 M ay those who wait for You not be ashamed through me, O Lord God of hosts; May those who seek You not be dishonored through me, O God of Israel,

Let not those who wait and hope and look for You, O Lord of hosts, be put to shame through me; let not those who seek and inquire for and require You be brought to confusion and dishonor through me, O God of Israel.

7 B ecause for Your sake I have borne reproach; Dishonor has covered my face.

Because for Your sake I have borne taunt and reproach; confusion and shame have covered my face.

8 I have become estranged from my brothers And an alien to my mother’s sons.

I have become a stranger to my brethren, and an alien to my mother’s children.

9 F or zeal for Your house has consumed me, And the reproaches of those who reproach You have fallen on me.

For zeal for Your house has eaten me up, and the reproaches and insults of those who reproach and insult You have fallen upon me.

10 W hen I wept in my soul with fasting, It became my reproach.

When I wept and humbled myself with fasting, I was jeered at and humiliated;

11 W hen I made sackcloth my clothing, I became a byword to them.

When I made sackcloth my clothing, I became a byword (an object of scorn) to them.

12 T hose who sit in the gate talk about me, And I am the song of the drunkards.

They who sit in gate talk about me, and I am the song of the drunkards.

13 B ut as for me, my prayer is to You, O Lord, at an acceptable time; O God, in the greatness of Your lovingkindness, Answer me with Your saving truth.

But as for me, my prayer is to You, O Lord. At an acceptable and opportune time, O God, in the multitude of Your mercy and the abundance of Your loving-kindness hear me, and in the truth and faithfulness of Your salvation answer me.

14 D eliver me from the mire and do not let me sink; May I be delivered from my foes and from the deep waters.

Rescue me out of the mire, and let me not sink; let me be delivered from those who hate me and from out of the deep waters.

15 M ay the flood of water not overflow me Nor the deep swallow me up, Nor the pit shut its mouth on me.

Let not the floodwaters overflow and overwhelm me, neither let the deep swallow me up nor the pit close its mouth over me.

16 A nswer me, O Lord, for Your lovingkindness is good; According to the greatness of Your compassion, turn to me,

Hear and answer me, O Lord, for Your loving-kindness is sweet and comforting; according to Your plenteous tender mercy and steadfast love turn to me.

17 A nd do not hide Your face from Your servant, For I am in distress; answer me quickly.

Hide not Your face from Your servant, for I am in distress; O answer me speedily!

18 O h draw near to my soul and redeem it; Ransom me because of my enemies!

Draw close to me and redeem me; ransom and set me free because of my enemies!

19 Y ou know my reproach and my shame and my dishonor; All my adversaries are before You.

You know my reproach and my shame and my dishonor; my adversaries are all before You.

20 R eproach has broken my heart and I am so sick. And I looked for sympathy, but there was none, And for comforters, but I found none.

Insults and reproach have broken my heart; I am full of heaviness and I am distressingly sick. I looked for pity, but there was none, and for comforters, but I found none.

21 T hey also gave me gall for my food And for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.

They gave me also gall for my food, and in my thirst they gave me vinegar (a soured wine) to drink.

22 M ay their table before them become a snare; And when they are in peace, may it become a trap.

Let their own table become a snare to them; and when they are secure in peace a trap to them.

23 M ay their eyes grow dim so that they cannot see, And make their loins shake continually.

Let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see, and make their loins tremble continually.

24 P our out Your indignation on them, And may Your burning anger overtake them.

Pour out Your indignation upon them, and let the fierceness of Your burning anger catch up with them.

25 M ay their camp be desolate; May none dwell in their tents.

Let their habitation and their encampment be a desolation; let no one dwell in their tents.

26 F or they have persecuted him whom You Yourself have smitten, And they tell of the pain of those whom You have wounded.

For they pursue and persecute him whom You have smitten, and they gossip about those whom You have wounded, to their grief and pain.

27 A dd iniquity to their iniquity, And may they not come into Your righteousness.

Let one perverseness and iniquity accumulate upon another for them, and let them not come into Your righteousness or be justified and acquitted by You.

28 M ay they be blotted out of the book of life And may they not be recorded with the righteous.

Let them be blotted out of the book of the living and the book of life and not be enrolled among the righteous (those upright and in right standing with God).

29 B ut I am afflicted and in pain; May Your salvation, O God, set me securely on high.

But I am poor, sorrowful, and in pain; let Your salvation, O God, set me up on high.

30 I will praise the name of God with song And magnify Him with thanksgiving.

I will praise the name of God with a song and will magnify Him with thanksgiving,

31 A nd it will please the Lord better than an ox Or a young bull with horns and hoofs.

And it will please the Lord better than an ox or a bullock that has horns and hoofs.

32 T he humble have seen it and are glad; You who seek God, let your heart revive.

The humble shall see it and be glad; you who seek God, inquiring for and requiring Him, let your hearts revive and live!

33 F or the Lord hears the needy And does not despise His who are prisoners.

For the Lord hears the poor and needy and despises not His prisoners (His miserable and wounded ones).

34 L et heaven and earth praise Him, The seas and everything that moves in them.

Let heaven and earth praise Him, the seas and everything that moves in them.

35 F or God will save Zion and build the cities of Judah, That they may dwell there and possess it.

For God will save Zion and rebuild the cities of Judah; and shall remain and dwell there and have it in their possession;

36 T he descendants of His servants will inherit it, And those who love His name will dwell in it.

The children of His servants shall inherit it, and those who love His name shall dwell in it.