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^1 (0) For the leader. Set to "Lilies." By David:

^2 (1) Save me, God!
For the water threatens my life.
^3 (2) I am sinking down in the mud,
and there is no foothold;
I have come into deep water;
the flood is sweeping over me.
^4 (3) I am exhausted from crying,
my throat is dry and sore,
my eyes are worn out
with looking for my God.

^5 (4) Those who hate me for no reason
outnumber the hairs on my head.
My persecutors are powerful,
my enemies accuse me falsely.
Am I expected to return
things I didn't steal?

^6 (5) God, you know how foolish I am;
my guilt is not hidden from you.
^7 (6) Let those who put their hope in you,
Adonai Elohim-Tzva'ot,
not be put to shame through me;
let those who are seeking you,
God of Isra'el,
not be disgraced through me.

^8 (7) For your sake I suffer insults,
shame covers my face.
^9 (8) I am estranged from my brothers,
an alien to my mother's children,
^10 (9) because zeal for your house is eating me up,
and on me are falling the insults
of those insulting you.
^11 (10) I weep bitterly, and I fast,
but that too occasions insults.
^12 (11) I clothe myself with sackcloth
and become an object of scorn,
^13 (12) the gossip of those sitting by the town gate,
the theme of drunkards' songs.

^14 (13) As for me, Adonai, let my prayer to you
come at an acceptable time;
In your great grace, God, answer me
with the truth of your salvation.
^15 (14) Rescue me from the mud!
Don't let me sink!
Let me be rescued from those who hate me
and from the deep water.
^16 (15) Don't let the floodwaters overwhelm me,
don't let the deep swallow me up,
don't let the pit close its mouth over me.

^17 (16) Answer me, Adonai, for your grace is good;
in your great mercy, turn to me.
^18 (17) Don't hide your face from your servant,
for I am in trouble; answer me quickly.
^19 (18) Come near to me, and redeem me;
ransom me because of my enemies.

^20 (19) You know how I am insulted,
shamed and disgraced;
before you stand all my foes.
^21 (20) Insults have broken my heart
to the point that I could die.
I hoped that someone would show compassion,
but nobody did;
and that there would be comforters,
but I found none.
^22 (21) They put poison in my food;
in my thirst, they gave me vinegar to drink.
^23 (22) Let their dining table
before them become a snare;
when they are at peace,
let it become a trap;
^24 (23) let their eyes be darkened,
so that they can't see,
and let their bodies
always be stumbling.
^25 (24) Pour out your fury on them,
let your fierce anger overtake them.
^26 (25) Let the place where they live be desolate,
with no one to live in their tents,
^27 (26) for persecuting someone you had already stricken,
for adding to the pain of those you wounded.
^28 (27) Add guilt to their guilt,
don't let them enter your righteousness.
^29 (28) Erase them from the book of life,
let them not be written with the righteous.

^30 (29) Meanwhile, I am afflicted and hurting;
God, let your saving power raise me up.
^31 (30) I will praise God's name with a song
and extol him with thanksgiving.

^32 (31) This will please Adonai more than a bull,
with its horns and hoofs.
^33 (32) The afflicted will see it and rejoice;
you seeking after God, let your heart revive.
^34 (33) For Adonai pays attention to the needy
and doesn't scorn his captive people.

^35 (34) Let heaven and earth praise him,
the seas and whatever moves in them.
^36 (35) For God will save Tziyon,
he will build the cities of Y'hudah.
[His people] will settle there and possess it.
^37 (36) The descendants of his servants will inherit it,
and those who love his name will live there.