To the chief Musician upon Shoshannim, Of David.

For the conductor, for shoshanim [i.e., for Israel, who are like lilies among the thorns (the nations)], a psalm of David.

Save me, O God; for the waters are come in to my soul.

Save me, O G d, for the waters [the nations] have come until my soul.

I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing: I am come into deep waters, and the flood overwhelms me.

I have sunk in the mire of the depths and there is no place to stand. I have come into the depths of the waters and the current has swept over me.

I am weary with my crying: my throat is dried: my eyes fail while I wait for my God.

I have become wearied with calling out. My throat has become parched. My eyes have expired in hoping to my G d.

They who hate me without cause are more than the hairs of my head: they who would destroy me are many, who hate me wrongfully.

More than the hairs of my head are those who hate me for no cause. Those who would cut me off have grown strong, my foes [(for my not pursuing their)] falsehood. What I have not stolen from them, I [must] return [(to them as a bribe)].

What I took not away, that must I restore. O God, Thou knowst my folly; and my sins are not hid from Thee.

O G d, You knew [the full extent of] my wrong, and my faults were not hidden from You.

Let not those who wait on Thee, O Lord God of hosts, be ashamed for my sake: let not those who seek Thee be confounded for my sake, O God of Yisra᾽el.

Let not those who hope in You, O my L rd G d, be ashamed because of me [(by seeing a "hoper" fall into the hands of his foes)]. Let not those who seek You be humiliated because of me, O G d of Israel.

Because for Thy sake I have borne insult; confusion has covered my face.

For it is on Your behalf that I have borne shame, that humiliation has covered my face.

I am become a stranger to my brothers, and an alien to my mother’s children.

I have become a stranger to my brothers [(Esav)], a foreigner to the sons of my mother.

For the zeal of Thy house has eaten me up; and the taunts of those who taunt Thee are fallen upon me.

For envy of Your house [(i.e., their envy of me because of the favor You showed them while the Temple stood)] devoured me, and the shame of Your shamers has rested upon me.

When I wept, and chastened my soul with fasting, that became a reproach to me.

And my crying in my fasting has become a shame to me [(my foes mocking me because of it)].

I made sackcloth also my garment; and I became a proverb to them.

And when I make my sackcloth my clothing [(in repentance)], I become a parable to them.

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

The sitters in the gates [(the judges)] talk about me, and I have become the song of the drinkers of strong drink.

But as for me, let my prayer be to Thee, O Lord, in an acceptable time: O God, in the greatness of Thy steadfast love hear me, in the truth of Thy salvation.

As for me, let [the time of] my prayer before You, O L rd, be a time of acceptance. O G d, in the abundance of Your lovingkindness, answer me with a true [(enduring)] salvation.

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

Rescue me from the mire [(the exile)] and let me not sink. Let me be saved from my foes and from the watery depths.

Let not the waterflood overwhelm me, nor let the deep swallow me up, and let not the pit shut her mouth upon me.

Let the current not sweep me away, and let the depths not swallow me, and let the well [(this strange affliction)] not close its mouth over me [(to swallow me)].

Hear me, O Lord; for Thy love is good: turn towards me according to the multitude of Thy compassion.

Answer me, O L rd, for Your lovingkindness is good. In the abundance of Your mercies, turn to me.

And hide not Thy face from Thy servant; for I am in trouble: answer me speedily.

And do not conceal Your countenance from Your servant. Because affliction has overtaken me, be quick to answer me.

Draw near to my soul, and redeem it: ransom me because of my enemies.

Draw near to my soul; redeem it. For the sake of [(gainsaying)] my enemies, redeem me.

Thou knowst my reproach, and my shame, and my dishonour: my adversaries are all before Thee.

You know my shame, and my embarrassment, and my humiliation. All of my oppressors are before You.

Insult has broken my heart; and I am sick: and I looked for some to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none.

Shame has broken my heart and I have become mortally ill. I look for one who would nod [(his head to me in consolation)], and there is none; [I look] for consolers, and I cannot find any.

And they gave me poison in my food; and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.

And they give me gall for my fare and make me drink vinegar for my thirst.

Let their table become a snare before them: and when they are at peace, let it be a trap.

Let their table be a trap before them, and their [hoped-for] peace, a snare.

Let their eyes be darkened, that they see not; and make their loins continually to shake.

Let their eyes be darkened from sight, and let their thighs always slip.

Pour out Thy indignation upon them, and let Thy fierce anger overtake them.

Spill Your ire upon them, and let the fury of Your wrath overtake them.

Let their habitation be desolate; let none dwell in their tents.

Let their towers be desolate. In their tents let there be no dweller.

For they persecute him whom Thou hast smitten; and they tell of the pain of those whom Thou hast wounded.

For [this people, which] You have smitten, they have pursued [(Zechariah 1:15): "I was wrathful [against My people] but a little, and they [the nations] abetted the evil."], and they converse [i.e., take counsel with each other to worsen] the pain of Your wounded.

Add iniquity to their iniquity: and let them not be admitted to Thy vindication.

Add transgression to their transgression, and let them not enter into Your righteousness.

Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous.

Let them be erased from the book of life, and let them not be inscribed with the righteous.

But I am afflicted and in pain: let thy salvation, O God, set me on high.

And I, afflicted and [smarting] in pain, let Your salvation, O G d, uplift me.

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

I will praise the name of G d in song and exalt it in thankfulness.

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

And this will be better in the eyes of the L rd than the young bull [(sacrificed by Adam)], horning and hooving [(Its horns preceded its hooves when it rose from the earth in creation)].

The humble shall see this, and be glad: and let your hearts revive, you who seek God.

When the humble see [(my salvation)], they will rejoice, [and when] the seekers of G d [see it], their hearts shall live.

For the Lord hears the poor, and despises not his prisoners.

For [they will see that] the L rd gives ear to the poor ones and does not despise His imprisoned ones.

Let the heaven and earth praise him, the seas, and everything that moves therein.

Heaven and earth will praise Him, the seas and all that creep therein,

For God will save Żiyyon, and will build the cities of Yehuda: that they may dwell there, and have it in possession.

when G d helps Zion and builds the cities of Judah and they sit therein and possess it.

The seed also of his servants shall inherit it: and they that love his name shall dwell there.

The seed of His servants [(the patriarchs)] will inherit it, and the lovers of His name will dwell therein.