Psalms 109
1 To the chief music-maker. Of David. A Psalm. God of my praise, let my prayer be answered;
For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. O God of my praise, be not silent.
2 For the mouth of the sinner is open against me in deceit: his tongue has said false things against me.
For wicked and deceitful mouths open against me; they speak against me with lying tongues.
3 Words of hate are round about me; they have made war against me without cause.
They surround me with hateful words and attack me without cause.
4 For my love they give me back hate; but I have given myself to prayer.
In return for my love they accuse me, but I am a man of prayer.
5 They have put on me evil for good; hate in exchange for my love.
They repay me evil for good, and hatred for my love.
6 Put an evil man over him; and let one be placed at his right hand to say evil of him.
Set over him a wicked man; let an accuser stand at his right hand.
7 When he is judged, let the decision go against him; and may his prayer become sin.
When he is tried, let him be found guilty, and may his prayer be regarded as sin.
8 Let his life be short; let another take his position of authority.
May his days be few; may another take his position.
9 Let his children have no father, and his wife be made a widow.
May his children be fatherless and his wife a widow.
10 Let his children be wanderers, looking to others for their food; let them be sent away from the company of their friends.
May his children wander as beggars, seeking sustenance far from their ruined homes.
11 Let his creditor take all his goods; and let others have the profit of his work.
May the creditor seize all he owns, and strangers plunder the fruits of his labor.
12 Let no man have pity on him, or give help to his children when he is dead.
May there be no one to extend kindness to him, and no one to favor his fatherless children.
13 Let his seed be cut off; in the coming generation let their name go out of memory.
May his descendants be cut off; may their name be blotted out from the next generation.
14 Let the Lord keep in mind the wrongdoing of his fathers; and may the sin of his mother have no forgiveness.
May the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the LORD, and the sin of his mother never be blotted out.
15 Let them be ever before the eyes of the Lord, so that the memory of them may be cut off from the earth.
May their sins always remain before the LORD, that He may cut off their memory from the earth.
16 Because he had no mercy, but was cruel to the low and the poor, designing the death of the broken-hearted.
For he never thought to show kindness, but pursued the poor and needy and brokenhearted, even to their death.
17 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.
The cursing that he loved, may it fall on him; the blessing in which he refused to delight, may it be far from him.
18 He put on cursing like a robe, and it has come into his body like water, and into his bones like oil.
The cursing that he wore like a coat, may it soak into his body like water, and into his bones like oil.
19 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.
May it be like a robe wrapped about him, like a belt tied forever around him.
20 Let this be the reward given to my haters from the Lord, and to those who say evil of my soul.
May this be the LORD’s reward to my accusers, to those who speak evil against me.
21 But, O Lord God, give me your help, because of your name; take me out of danger, because your mercy is good.
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.
22 For I am poor and in need, and my heart is wounded in me.
For I am poor and needy; my heart is wounded within me.
23 I am gone like the shade when it is stretched out: I am forced out of my place like a locust.
I am fading away like a lengthening shadow; I am shaken off like a locust.
24 My knees are feeble for need of food; there is no fat on my bones.
My knees are weak from fasting, and my body grows lean and gaunt.
25 As for me, they make sport of me; shaking their heads when they see me.
I am an object of scorn to my accusers; when they see me, they shake their heads.
26 Give me help, O Lord my God; in your mercy be my saviour;
Help me, O LORD my God; save me according to Your loving devotion.
27 So that they may see that it is the work of your hand; that you, Lord, have done it.
Let them know that this is Your hand, that You, O LORD, have done it.
28 They may give curses but you give blessing; when they come up against me, put them to shame; but let your servant be glad.
Though they curse, You will bless. When they rise up, they will be put to shame, but Your servant will rejoice.
29 Let my haters be clothed with shame, covering themselves with shame as with a robe.
May my accusers be clothed with disgrace; may they wear their shame like a robe.
30 I will give the Lord great praise with my mouth; yes, I will give praise to him among all the people.
With my mouth I will thank the LORD profusely; I will praise Him in the presence of many.
31 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.
For He stands at the right hand of the needy one, to save him from the condemners of his soul.
