Psalms 109
1 For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. O God of my praise, be not silent.
For the leader. Of David, a psalm. O God whom I praise, keep not silence;
2 For wicked and deceitful mouths open against me; they speak against me with lying tongues.
for their wicked mouths they have opened against me, they speak to me with tongues that are false,
3 They surround me with hateful words and attack me without cause.
they beset me with words of hatred, and fight without cause against me.
4 In return for my love they accuse me, but I am a man of prayer.
My love they requite with hostility, while for them I lift up my prayer.
5 They repay me evil for good, and hatred for my love.
Evil for good they reward me, and hatred for my love.
6 Set over him a wicked man; let an accuser stand at his right hand.
“Set over him one who is godless,” they say, “an opponent at his right hand.
7 When he is tried, let him be found guilty, and may his prayer be regarded as sin.
From his trial let him come forth guilty, may his prayer be counted as sin.
8 May his days be few; may another take his position.
Grant that his days may be few, that his office be seized by another.
9 May his children be fatherless and his wife a widow.
Grant that his children be fatherless, and that his wife be a widow.
10 May his children wander as beggars, seeking sustenance far from their ruined homes.
Up and down may his children go begging, expelled from their desolate home.
11 May the creditor seize all he owns, and strangers plunder the fruits of his labor.
May all that he owns be seized by the creditor may strangers plunder the fruits of his toil.
12 May there be no one to extend kindness to him, and no one to favor his fatherless children.
“May none extend to him kindness, or pity his fatherless children.
13 May his descendants be cut off; may their name be blotted out from the next generation.
His descendants be doomed to destruction! Blotted out be his name in one generation!
14 May the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the LORD, and the sin of his mother never be blotted out.
May his father’s guilt be remembered, and his mother’s sin not blotted out:
15 May their sins always remain before the LORD, that He may cut off their memory from the earth.
on record always before the Lord, and his memory root from the earth;
16 For he never thought to show kindness, but pursued the poor and needy and brokenhearted, even to their death.
for he gave no thought to show kindness, but pursued the poor and the needy, drove the downhearted to death.
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.
“May the curses he loved light upon him, may the blessings he loathed be afar.
18 The cursing that he wore like a coat, may it soak into his body like water, and into his bones like oil.
Like a garment he clothed him with curses; may they pierce to his inwards like water, and cling to his bones like oil.
19 May it be like a robe wrapped about him, like a belt tied forever around him.
Let them be like the robe he wraps round him, like the belt he wears every day.”
20 May this be the LORD’s reward to my accusers, to those who speak evil against me.
Be this the reward of my adversaries, of those who speak evil against me.
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 you, Lord my God, be true to your name, deal kindly with me; in your gracious kindness save 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 a lengthening shadow, I am shaken off like a locust.
24 My knees are weak from fasting, and my body grows lean and gaunt.
My knees totter from fasting, my flesh is shrivelled and spare.
25 I am an object of scorn to my accusers; when they see me, they shake their heads.
They heap insults upon me: 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, and save me in your kindness.
27 Let them know that this is Your hand, that You, O LORD, have done it.
Teach them that this is your hand, and your own doing, O Lord.
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, if only you bless. Put my assailants to shame, and make your servant glad.
29 May my accusers be clothed with disgrace; may they wear their shame like a robe.
My opponents be clothed with dishonor, and wrapped in a robe of shame.
30 With my mouth I will thank the LORD profusely; I will praise Him in the presence of many.
I give thanks to you, Lord, with loud voice, I give praise in the midst of the throng;
31 For He stands at the right hand of the needy one, to save him from the condemners of his soul.
for he stands by the poor, at his right hand, to save them from those who condemn them.
