1 ARST O God, save me because I am in great danger. It is as though the flood water were up to my neck, and I were about to drown. BSB BSB: For the choirmaster. To the tune of “Lilies.” Of David. Save me, O God, for the waters are up to my neck.
2 ARST I continue to sink in the deep mud, and there is no solid ground for me to stand on. I am in deep water, and the flood is swirling around me. BSB BSB: I have sunk into the miry depths, where there is no footing; I have drifted into deep waters, where the flood engulfs me.
3 ARST I am exhausted from calling out for help; my throat is very dry. Because I have cried so much as I have waited for God to help me, my eyes are swollen from tears. BSB BSB: I am weary from my crying; my throat is parched. My eyes fail, looking for my God.
4 ARST Those who hate me when there is no reason to hate me are more than the number of hairs on my head! Those who want to get rid of me are strong, and they tell lies about me. They demand that I return to them things that I did not steal! BSB BSB: Those who hate me without cause outnumber the hairs of my head; many are those who would destroy me—my enemies for no reason. Though I did not steal, I must repay.
5 ARST O God, you see the sins that I have committed. You know that I have foolishly disobeyed your laws. BSB BSB: You know my folly, O God, and my guilt is not hidden from You.
6 ARST O Yahweh God, commander of the angel armies, do not allow the wrong things that I have done cause those who trust in you to be disappointed. O God, whom we Israelite people worship, do not allow me to cause them to be shamed. BSB BSB: May those who hope in 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.
7 ARST People have insulted me because I am devoted to you. They have thoroughly humiliated me. BSB BSB: For I have endured scorn for Your sake, and shame has covered my face.
8 ARST Even my own older brothers act as if they do not know me; they treat me like a foreigner. BSB BSB: I have become a stranger to my brothers and a foreigner to my mother’s sons,
9 ARST Some people have despised your temple; but because I have tried to keep your temple holy, people have caused trouble for me. So it is as though those who are insulting you are also insulting me. BSB BSB: because zeal for Your house has consumed me, and the insults of those who insult You have fallen on me.
10 ARST When I have humbled myself and fasted to show my sadness about the disgraceful things that they have done to your temple, they just insult me. BSB BSB: I wept and fasted, but it brought me reproach.
11 ARST When I put on rough sackcloth to show that I am sad, they laugh at me. BSB BSB: I made sackcloth my clothing, and I was sport to them.
12 ARST Even the elders of the city say bad things about me. The drunkards of the city sing disgusting songs about me. BSB BSB: Those who sit at the gate mock me, and I am the song of drunkards.
13 ARST But Yahweh, I will continue praying to you. At the time that you choose, answer me and rescue me because you faithfully love me, as you have promised to do. BSB BSB: But my prayer to You, O LORD, is for a time of favor. In Your abundant loving devotion, O God, answer me with Your sure salvation.
14 ARST Do not allow me to sink anymore in the mud. Rescue me from those who hate me! Lift me up out of these deep waters! BSB BSB: Rescue me from the mire and do not let me sink; deliver me from my foes and out of the deep waters.
15 ARST Do not allow the floods to swirl around me; do not allow the deep mud to swallow me; keep me from sinking into the pit of death. BSB BSB: Do not let the floods engulf me or the depths swallow me up; let not the Pit close its mouth over me.
16 ARST O Yahweh, answer my prayer and help me because you are good and I can depend on your love for me. You have not punished me for what I deserve. I know you will listen to me! BSB BSB: Answer me, O LORD, for Your loving devotion is good; turn to me in keeping with Your great compassion.
17 ARST Do not hide yourself from me; answer me quickly because I am in great trouble. BSB BSB: Hide not Your face from Your servant, for I am in distress. Answer me quickly!
18 ARST Come near to me and save me; rescue me from my enemies. BSB BSB: Draw near to my soul and redeem me; ransom me because of my foes.
19 ARST You know that I am insulted and that people shame and dishonor me; you know who all my enemies are. BSB BSB: You know my reproach, my shame and disgrace. All my adversaries are before You.
20 ARST Their insults have deeply offended me, and I feel helpless. I searched for someone who would pity me, but there was no one. I wanted someone to encourage me, but there was no one. BSB BSB: Insults have broken my heart, and I am in despair. I looked for sympathy, but there was none, for comforters, but I found no one.
21 ARST Instead, they gave me food that tasted like poison, and when I was thirsty, they gave me sour wine to drink. BSB BSB: They poisoned my food with gall and gave me vinegar to quench my thirst.
22 ARST I hope their own food will kill them; I hope that this will happen when they think that they are completely safe. BSB BSB: May their table become a snare; may it be a retribution and a trap.
23 ARST I hope that their eyes become dim so that they cannot see anything and that their backs will become weaker and weaker. BSB BSB: May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see, and their backs be bent forever.
24 ARST Show them that you are very angry with them! Because of your great anger, chase them and catch them. BSB BSB: Pour out Your wrath upon them, and let Your burning anger overtake them.
25 ARST Cause their towns to become abandoned; may there be no one to live in their tents. BSB BSB: May their place be deserted; let there be no one to dwell in their tents.
26 ARST Do this because they persecute those whom you have punished, they look at how those whom you have punished suffer, and they tell others about it. BSB BSB: For they persecute the one You struck and recount the pain of those You wounded.
27 ARST Keep making a record of all their sins, do not fail to punish them for the evil things that they have done. BSB BSB: Add iniquity to their iniquity; let them not share in Your righteousness.
28 ARST Erase their names from the book containing the names of those who have eternal life; do not include them in the list of righteous people. BSB BSB: May they be blotted out of the Book of Life and not listed with the righteous.
29 ARST As for me, I have pain and am suffering. O God, protect me and rescue me. BSB BSB: But I am in pain and distress; let Your salvation protect me, O God.
30 ARST When God does that, I will sing as I praise God, and I will honor him by thanking him. BSB BSB: I will praise God’s name in song and exalt Him with thanksgiving.
31 ARST My doing that will please Yahweh more than sacrificing oxen, more than offering him full grown bulls. BSB BSB: And this will please the LORD more than an ox, more than a bull with horns and hooves.
32 ARST Oppressed people will see that God has rescued me, and they will be glad. I desire that all who request God to help them may be encouraged. BSB BSB: The humble will see and rejoice. You who seek God, let your hearts be revived!
33 ARST Yahweh listens to those who are needy; he does not ignore those who have suffered for him. BSB BSB: For the LORD listens to the needy and does not despise His captive people.
34 ARST I desire that everything will praise God— everything that is in heaven and on earth and all the creatures that are in the seas. BSB BSB: Let heaven and earth praise Him, the seas and everything that moves in them.
35 ARST God will rescue the people of Jerusalem from their enemies, and he will rebuild the towns that are in Judah. His people will live there and again possess the land. BSB BSB: For God will save Zion and rebuild the cities of Judah, that they may dwell there and possess it.
36 ARST The descendants of his people will inherit it, and those who love him will live there safely. BSB BSB: The descendants of His servants will inherit it, and those who love His name will settle in it.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.