Mazmur 69:13-18

69:13 O Lord, may you hear my prayer and be favorably disposed to me! ¹ 

O God, because of your great loyal love,

answer me with your faithful deliverance! ² 

69:14 Rescue me from the mud! Don’t let me sink!

Deliver me ³  from those who hate me,

from the deep water!

69:15 Don’t let the current overpower me!

Don’t let the deep swallow me up!

Don’t let the pit ⁴  devour me! ⁵ 

69:16 Answer me, O Lord, for your loyal love is good! ⁶ 

Because of your great compassion, turn toward me!

69:17 Do not ignore ⁷  your servant,

for I am in trouble! Answer me right away! ⁸ 

69:18 Come near me and redeem me! ⁹ 

Because of my enemies, rescue me!

[69:13]  ¹ tn Heb “as for me, [may] my prayer be to you, O Lord, [in] a time of favor.”

[69:13]  ² tn Heb “O God, in the abundance of your loyal love, answer me in the faithfulness of your deliverance.”

[69:14]  ³ tn Heb “let me be delivered.”

[69:15]  ⁴ tn Heb “well,” which here symbolizes the place of the dead (cf. Ps 55:23).

[69:15]  ⁵ tn Heb “do not let the well close its mouth upon me.”

[69:16]  ⁶ tn Or “pleasant”; or “desirable.”

[69:17]  ⁷ tn Heb “do not hide your face from.” The Hebrew idiom “hide the face” can (1) mean “ignore” (see Pss 10:11; 13:1; 51:9) or (2) carry the stronger idea of “reject” (see Pss 30:7; 88:14).

[69:17]  ⁸ tn Or “quickly.”

[69:18]  ⁹ tn Heb “come near my life and redeem it.” The verb “redeem” casts the Lord in the role of a leader who protects members of his extended family in times of need and crisis (see Ps 19:14).