Psalms 109

1 For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David. God of my praise, do not remain silent,

To the chief music-maker. Of David. A Psalm. God of my praise, let my prayer be answered;

2 for they have opened the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of deceit against me. They have spoken to me with a lying tongue.

For the mouth of the sinner is open against me in deceit: his tongue has said false things against me.

3 They have also surrounded me with words of hatred, and fought against me without a cause.

Words of hate are round about me; they have made war against me without cause.

4 In return for my love, they are my adversaries; but I am in prayer.

For my love they give me back hate; but I have given myself to prayer.

5 They have rewarded me evil for good, and hatred for my love.

They have put on me evil for good; hate in exchange for my love.

6 Set a wicked man over him. Let an adversary stand at his right hand.

Put an evil man over him; and let one be placed at his right hand to say evil of him.

7 When he is judged, let him come out guilty. Let his prayer be turned into sin.

When he is judged, let the decision go against him; and may his prayer become sin.

8 Let his days be few. Let another take his office.

Let his life be short; let another take his position of authority.

9 Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow.

Let his children have no father, and his wife be made a widow.

10 Let his children be wandering beggars. Let them be sought from their ruins.

Let his children be wanderers, looking to others for their food; let them be sent away from the company of their friends.

11 Let the creditor seize all that he has. Let strangers plunder the fruit of his labor.

Let his creditor take all his goods; and let others have the profit of his work.

12 Let there be no one to extend kindness to him, neither let there be anyone to have pity on his fatherless children.

Let no man have pity on him, or give help to his children when he is dead.

13 Let his posterity be cut off. In the generation following let their name be blotted out.

Let his seed be cut off; in the coming generation let their name go out of memory.

14 Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered by the LORD. Do not let the sin of his mother be blotted out.

Let the Lord keep in mind the wrongdoing of his fathers; and may the sin of his mother have no forgiveness.

15 Let them be before the LORD continually, that he may cut off their memory from the earth;

Let them be ever before the eyes of the Lord, so that the memory of them may be cut off from the earth.

16 because he did not remember to show kindness, but persecuted the poor and needy man, the broken in heart, to kill them.

Because he had no mercy, but was cruel to the low and the poor, designing the death of the broken-hearted.

17 Yes, he loved cursing, and it came to him. He did not delight in blessing, and it was far from him.

As he took pleasure in cursing, so let it come on him; and as he had no delight in blessing, let it be far from him.

18 He clothed himself also with cursing as with his garment. It came into his inward parts like water, like oil into his bones.

He put on cursing like a robe, and it has come into his body like water, and into his bones like oil.

19 Let it be to him as the clothing with which he covers himself, for the belt that is always around him.

Let it be to him as a robe which he puts on, let it be like a band which is round him at all times.

20 This is the reward of my adversaries from the LORD, of those who speak evil against my soul.

Let this be the reward given to my haters from the Lord, and to those who say evil of my soul.

21 But deal with me, GOD the Lord, for your name’s sake, because your loving kindness is good, deliver me;

But, O Lord God, give me your help, because of your name; take me out of danger, because your mercy is good.

22 for I am poor and needy. My heart is wounded within me.

For I am poor and in need, and my heart is wounded in me.

23 I fade away like an evening shadow. I am shaken off like a locust.

I am gone like the shade when it is stretched out: I am forced out of my place like a locust.

24 My knees are weak through fasting. My body is thin and lacks fat.

My knees are feeble for need of food; there is no fat on my bones.

25 I have also become a reproach to them. When they see me, they shake their head.

As for me, they make sport of me; shaking their heads when they see me.

26 Help me, LORD, my God. Save me according to your loving kindness;

Give me help, O Lord my God; in your mercy be my saviour;

27 that they may know that this is your hand; that you, LORD, have done it.

So that they may see that it is the work of your hand; that you, Lord, have done it.

28 They may curse, but you bless. When they arise, they will be shamed, but your servant shall rejoice.

They may give curses but you give blessing; when they come up against me, put them to shame; but let your servant be glad.

29 Let my adversaries be clothed with dishonor. Let them cover themselves with their own shame as with a robe.

Let my haters be clothed with shame, covering themselves with shame as with a robe.

30 I will give great thanks to the LORD with my mouth. Yes, I will praise him among the multitude.

I will give the Lord great praise with my mouth; yes, I will give praise to him among all the people.

31 For he will stand at the right hand of the needy, to save him from those who judge his soul.

For he is ever at the right hand of the poor, to take him out of the hands of those who go after his soul.