Psalms 109

1 For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. O God of my praise, be not silent.

To the chief Musician. Of David. A Psalm. O God of my praise, be not silent:

2 For wicked and deceitful mouths open against me; they speak against me with lying tongues.

For the mouth of the wicked [man] and the mouth of deceit are opened against me: they have spoken against me with a lying tongue,

3 They surround me with hateful words and attack me without cause.

And with words of hatred have they encompassed me; and they fight against me without a cause.

4 In return for my love they accuse me, but I am a man of prayer.

For my love they are mine adversaries; but I [give myself unto] prayer.

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

And they have rewarded me evil for good, and hatred for my love.

6 Set over him a wicked man; let an accuser stand at his right hand.

Set a wicked [man] over him, and let [the] adversary stand at his right hand;

7 When he is tried, let him be found guilty, and may his prayer be regarded as sin.

When he shall be judged, let him go out guilty, and let his prayer become sin;

8 May his days be few; may another take his position.

Let his days be few, let another take his office;

9 May his children be fatherless and his wife a widow.

Let his sons be fatherless, and his wife a widow;

10 May his children wander as beggars, seeking sustenance far from their ruined homes.

Let his sons be vagabonds and beg, and let them seek [their bread] far from their desolate places;

11 May the creditor seize all he owns, and strangers plunder the fruits of his labor.

Let the usurer cast the net over all that he hath, and let strangers despoil his labour;

12 May there be no one to extend kindness to him, and no one to favor his fatherless children.

Let there be none to extend kindness unto him, neither let there be any to favour his fatherless children;

13 May his descendants be cut off; may their name be blotted out from the next generation.

Let his posterity be cut off; in the generation following let their name be blotted out:

14 May the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the LORD, and the sin of his mother never be blotted out.

Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered with Jehovah, and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out;

15 May their sins always remain before the LORD, that He may cut off their memory from the earth.

Let them be before Jehovah continually, that he may cut off the memory of them from the earth:

16 For he never thought to show kindness, but pursued the poor and needy and brokenhearted, even to their death.

Because he remembered not to shew kindness, but persecuted the afflicted and needy man, and the broken in heart, to slay him.

17 The cursing that he loved, may it fall on him; the blessing in which he refused to delight, may it be far from him.

And he loved cursing; so let it come unto him. And he delighted not in blessing; and let it be far from him.

18 The cursing that he wore like a coat, may it soak into his body like water, and into his bones like oil.

And he clothed himself with cursing like his vestment; so let it come into his bowels like water, and like oil into his bones;

19 May it be like a robe wrapped about him, like a belt tied forever around him.

Let it be unto him as a garment with which he covereth himself, and for a girdle wherewith he is constantly girded.

20 May this be the LORD’s reward to my accusers, to those who speak evil against me.

Let this be the reward of mine adversaries from Jehovah, and of them that speak evil against my soul.

21 But You, O GOD, the Lord, deal kindly with me for the sake of Your name; deliver me by the goodness of Your loving devotion.

But do thou for me, Jehovah, Lord, for thy name's sake; because thy loving-kindness is good, deliver me:

22 For I am poor and needy; my heart is wounded within me.

For I am afflicted and needy, and my heart is wounded within me.

23 I am fading away like a lengthening shadow; I am shaken off like a locust.

I am gone like a shadow when it lengtheneth; I am tossed about like the locust;

24 My knees are weak from fasting, and my body grows lean and gaunt.

My knees are failing through fasting, and my flesh hath lost its fatness;

25 I am an object of scorn to my accusers; when they see me, they shake their heads.

And I am become a reproach unto them; [when] they look upon me they shake their heads.

26 Help me, O LORD my God; save me according to Your loving devotion.

Help me, Jehovah my God; save me according to thy loving-kindness:

27 Let them know that this is Your hand, that You, O LORD, have done it.

That they may know that this is thy hand; that thou, Jehovah, hast done it.

28 Though they curse, You will bless. When they rise up, they will be put to shame, but Your servant will rejoice.

Let them curse, but bless thou; when they rise up, let them be ashamed, and let thy servant rejoice.

29 May my accusers be clothed with disgrace; may they wear their shame like a robe.

Let mine adversaries be clothed with confusion, and let them cover themselves with their shame as with a mantle.

30 With my mouth I will thank the LORD profusely; I will praise Him in the presence of many.

I will greatly celebrate Jehovah with my mouth; yea, I will praise him among the multitude.

31 For He stands at the right hand of the needy one, to save him from the condemners of his soul.

For he standeth at the right hand of the needy, to save him from those that judge his soul.