Psalms 69:1-12, 30-36

God, save me, because the water has risen to my neck. I’m sinking down into the mud, and there is nothing to stand on. I am in deep water, and the flood covers me. I am tired from calling for help; my throat is sore. My eyes are tired from waiting for God to help me. There are more people who hate me for no reason than hairs on my head; powerful enemies want to destroy me for no reason. They make me pay back what I did not steal. God, you know what I have done wrong; I cannot hide my guilt from you. Lord GOD All-Powerful, do not let those who hope in you be ashamed because of me. God of Israel, do not let your worshipers be disgraced because of me. For you, I carry this shame, and my face is covered with disgrace. I am like a stranger to my closest relatives and a foreigner to my mother’s children. My strong love for your Temple completely controls me. When people insult you, it hurts me. When I cry and fast, they make fun of me. When I wear clothes of sadness, they joke about me. They make fun of me in public places, and the drunkards make up songs about me.

I will praise God in a song and will honor him by giving thanks. That will please the LORD more than offering him cattle, more than sacrificing a bull with horns and hoofs. Poor people will see this and be glad. Be encouraged, you who worship God. The LORD listens to those in need and does not look down on captives. Heaven and earth should praise him, the seas and everything in them. God will save Jerusalem and rebuild the cities of Judah. Then people will live there and own the land. The descendants of his servants will inherit that land, and those who love him will live there.