Psalms 69:31-36

69:31 That will please the Lord more than an ox or a bull

with horns and hooves.

69:32 The oppressed look on – let them rejoice!

You who seek God, ¹  may you be encouraged! ² 

69:33 For the Lord listens to the needy;

he does not despise his captive people. ³ 

69:34 Let the heavens and the earth praise him,

along with the seas and everything that swims in them!

69:35 For God will deliver Zion

and rebuild the cities of Judah,

and his people ⁴  will again live in them and possess Zion. ⁵ 

69:36 The descendants of his servants will inherit it,

and those who are loyal to him ⁶  will live in it. ⁷ 

[69:32]  ¹ sn You who seek God refers to those who seek to have a relationship with God by obeying and worshiping him (see Ps 53:2).

[69:32]  ² tn Heb “may your heart[s] live.” See Ps 22:26.

[69:33]  ³ tn Heb “his prisoners he does not despise.”

[69:35]  ⁴ tn Heb “they”; the referent (God’s people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[69:35]  ⁵ tn Heb “it.” The third feminine singular pronominal suffix probably refers to “Zion” (see Pss 48:12; 102:14); thus the referent has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[69:36]  ⁶ tn Heb “the lovers of his name.” The phrase refers to those who are loyal to God (cf. v. 35). See Pss 5:11; 119:132; Isa 56:6.

[69:36]  ⁷ sn Verses 35-36 appear to be an addition to the psalm from the time of the exile. The earlier lament reflects an individual’s situation, while these verses seem to reflect a communal application of it.