Psalms 109

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

For the Leader. A Psalm of David. O God of my praise, keep not silence;

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

For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of deceit have they opened against me; they have spoken unto me with a lying tongue.

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

They compassed me about also with words of hatred, and fought against me without a cause.

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

In return for my love they are my adversaries; but I am all prayer.

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

And they have laid upon 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 Thou a wicked man over him; and let an 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 is judged, let him go forth condemned; and let his prayer be turned into sin.

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

Let his days be few; let another take his charge.

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

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

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

Let his children be vagabonds, and beg; and let them seek their bread out of their desolate places.

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

Let the creditor distrain all that he hath; and let strangers make spoil of 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 be gracious unto 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 brought to remembrance unto the LORD; 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 the LORD 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 that he remembered not to do kindness, but persecuted the poor and needy man, and the broken in heart he was ready to slay.

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.

Yea, he loved cursing, and it came unto him; and he delighted not in blessing, and it is 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.

He clothed himself also with cursing as with his raiment, and it is come into his inward parts 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 the garment which he putteth on, and for the girdle wherewith he is girded continually.'

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

This would mine adversaries effect from the LORD, and they 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 Thou, O GOD the Lord, deal with me for Thy name's sake; because Thy mercy is good, deliver Thou me.

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

For I am poor 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 the shadow when it lengtheneth; I am shaken off as the locust.

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

My knees totter through fasting; and my flesh is lean, and hath no fatness.

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

I am become also a taunt unto them; when they see me, they shake their head.

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

Help me, O LORD my God; O save me according to Thy mercy;

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, LORD, 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 arise, they shall be put to shame, but Thy servant shall rejoice.

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

Mine adversaries shall be clothed with confusion, and shall put on their own shame as a robe.

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

I will give great thanks unto the LORD 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.

Because He standeth at the right hand of the needy, to save him from them that judge his soul.