Mazmur 69:26

69:26 For they harass ¹  the one whom you discipline; ² 

they spread the news about the suffering of those whom you punish. ³ 

Zakharia 1:15

1:15 But I am greatly displeased with the nations that take my grace for granted. ⁴  I was a little displeased with them, but they have only made things worse for themselves.

[69:26]  ¹ tn Or “persecute”; Heb “chase.”

[69:26]  ² tn Heb “for you, the one whom you strike, they chase.”

[69:26]  ³ tn Heb “they announce the pain of your wounded ones” (i.e., “the ones whom you wounded,” as the parallel line makes clear).

[69:26]  sn The psalmist is innocent of the false charges made by his enemies (v. 4), but he is also aware of his sinfulness (v. 5) and admits that he experiences divine discipline (v. 26) despite his devotion to God (v. 9). Here he laments that his enemies take advantage of such divine discipline by harassing and slandering him. They “kick him while he’s down,” as the expression goes.

[1:15]  ⁴ tn Or “the nations that are at ease” (so ASV, NRSV). The Hebrew word in question is שַׁאֲנָן (sha’anan) which has the idea of a careless, even arrogant attitude (see BDB 983 s.v. שַׁאֲנָן); cf. NAB “the complacent nations.” Here it suggests that the nations take for granted that God will never punish them just because he hasn't already done so. Thus they presume on the grace and patience of the Lord. The translation attempts to bring out this nuance rather than the more neutral renderings of TEV “nations that enjoy quiet and peace” or NLT “enjoy peace and security.”