Day 176 of 364

^69:1For the Chief Musician. To the tune of “Lilies.” By David. Save me, God, for the waters have come up to my neck! ^69:2I sink in deep mire, where there is no foothold. I have come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me. ^69:3I am weary with my crying. My throat is dry. My eyes fail looking for my God. ^69:4Those who hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of my head. Those who want to cut me off, being my enemies wrongfully, are mighty. I have to restore what I didn’t take away. ^69:5God, you know my foolishness. My sins aren’t hidden from you. ^69:6Don’t let those who wait for you be shamed through me, Lord GOD of Armies. Don’t let those who seek you be brought to dishonor through me, God of Israel. ^69:7Because for your sake, I have borne reproach. Shame has covered my face. ^69:8I have become a stranger to my brothers, an alien to my mother’s children. ^69:9For the zeal of your house consumes me. The reproaches of those who reproach you have fallen on me. ^69:10When I wept and I fasted, that was to my reproach. ^69:11When I made sackcloth my clothing, I became a byword to them. ^69:12Those who sit in the gate talk about me. I am the song of the drunkards. ^69:13But as for me, my prayer is to you, LORD, in an acceptable time. God, in the abundance of your loving kindness, answer me in the truth of your salvation. ^69:14Deliver me out of the mire, and don’t let me sink. Let me be delivered from those who hate me, and out of the deep waters. ^69:15Don’t let the flood waters overwhelm me, neither let the deep swallow me up. Don’t let the pit shut its mouth on me. ^69:16Answer me, LORD, for your loving kindness is good. According to the multitude of your tender mercies, turn to me. ^69:17Don’t hide your face from your servant, for I am in distress. Answer me speedily! ^69:18Draw near to my soul and redeem it. Ransom me because of my enemies. ^69:19You know my reproach, my shame, and my dishonor. My adversaries are all before you. ^69:20Reproach has broken my heart, and I am full of heaviness. I looked for some to take pity, but there was none; for comforters, but I found none. ^69:21They also gave me poison for my food. In my thirst, they gave me vinegar to drink. ^69:22Let their table before them become a snare. May it become a retribution and a trap. ^69:23Let their eyes be darkened, so that they can’t see. Let their backs be continually bent. ^69:24Pour out your indignation on them. Let the fierceness of your anger overtake them. ^69:25Let their habitation be desolate. Let no one dwell in their tents. ^69:26For they persecute him whom you have wounded. They tell of the sorrow of those whom you have hurt. ^69:27Charge them with crime upon crime. Don’t let them come into your righteousness. ^69:28Let them be blotted out of the book of life, and not be written with the righteous. ^69:29But I am in pain and distress. Let your salvation, God, protect me. ^69:30I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving. ^69:31It will please the LORD better than an ox, or a bull that has horns and hoofs. ^69:32The humble have seen it, and are glad. You who seek after God, let your heart live. ^69:33For the LORD hears the needy, and doesn’t despise his captive people. ^69:34Let heaven and earth praise him; the seas, and everything that moves therein! ^69:35For God will save Zion, and build the cities of Judah. They shall settle there, and own it. ^69:36The children also of his servants shall inherit it. Those who love his name shall dwell therein. ^70:1For the Chief Musician. By David. A reminder. Hurry, God, to deliver me. Come quickly to help me, LORD. ^70:2Let them be disappointed and confounded who seek my soul. Let those who desire my ruin be turned back in disgrace. ^70:3Let them be turned because of their shame who say, “Aha! Aha!” ^70:4Let all those who seek you rejoice and be glad in you. Let those who love your salvation continually say, “Let God be exalted!” ^70:5But I am poor and needy. Come to me quickly, God. You are my help and my deliverer. LORD, don’t delay. ^71:1In you, LORD, I take refuge. Never let me be disappointed. ^71:2Deliver me in your righteousness, and rescue me. Turn your ear to me, and save me. ^71:3Be to me a rock of refuge to which I may always go. Give the command to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress. ^71:4Rescue me, my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man. ^71:5For you are my hope, Lord GOD, my confidence from my youth. ^71:6I have relied on you from the womb. You are he who took me out of my mother’s womb. I will always praise you. ^71:7I am a marvel to many, but you are my strong refuge. ^71:8My mouth shall be filled with your praise, with your honor all day long. ^71:9Don’t reject me in my old age. Don’t forsake me when my strength fails. ^71:10For my enemies talk about me. Those who watch for my soul conspire together, ^71:11saying, “God has forsaken him. Pursue and take him, for no one will rescue him.” ^71:12God, don’t be far from me. My God, hurry to help me. ^71:13Let my accusers be disappointed and consumed. Let them be covered with disgrace and scorn who want to harm me. ^71:14But I will always hope, and will add to all of your praise. ^71:15My mouth will tell about your righteousness, and of your salvation all day, though I don’t know its full measure. ^71:16I will come with the mighty acts of the Lord GOD. I will make mention of your righteousness, even of yours alone. ^71:17God, you have taught me from my youth. Until now, I have declared your wondrous works. ^71:18Yes, even when I am old and gray-haired, God, don’t forsake me, until I have declared your strength to the next generation, your might to everyone who is to come. ^71:19God, your righteousness also reaches to the heavens. You have done great things. God, who is like you? ^71:20You, who have shown us many and bitter troubles, you will let me live. You will bring us up again from the depths of the earth. ^71:21Increase my honor and comfort me again. ^71:22I will also praise you with the harp for your faithfulness, my God. I sing praises to you with the lyre, Holy One of Israel. ^71:23My lips shall shout for joy! My soul, which you have redeemed, sings praises to you! ^71:24My tongue will also talk about your righteousness all day long, for they are disappointed, and they are confounded, who want to harm me.