Psalms 109
1 To the chief music-maker. Of David. A Psalm. God of my praise, let my prayer be answered;
Unto the end, a psalm for David.
2 For the mouth of the sinner is open against me in deceit: his tongue has said false things against me.
O God, be not thou silent in thy praise: for the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful man is opened against me.
3 Words of hate are round about me; they have made war against me without cause.
They have spoken against with deceitful tongues; and they have compassed me about with words of hatred; and have fought against me without cause.
4 For my love they give me back hate; but I have given myself to prayer.
Instead of making me a return of love, they detracted me: but I gave myself to prayer.
5 They have put on me evil for good; hate in exchange for my love.
And they repaid 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 thou the sinner over him: and may the devil 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 judged, may he go out condemned; and may his prayer be turned to sin.
8 Let his life be short; let another take his position of authority.
May his days be few: and his bishopric let another take.
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.
Let his children be carried about vagabonds, and beg; and let them be cast out of their dwellings.
11 Let his creditor take all his goods; and let others have the profit of his work.
May the userer search all his substance: and let strangers plunder his labours.
12 Let no man have pity on him, or give help to his children when he is dead.
May there be none to help him: nor none to pity his fatherless offspring.
13 Let his seed be cut off; in the coming generation let their name go out of memory.
May his posterity be cut off; in one generation may his name be blotted out.
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 in the sight of the Lord: and let not the sin of his mother 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 they be before the lord continually, and let the memory of them perish 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.
Because he remembered not to show mercy,
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.
But persecuted the poor man and the beggar; and the broken in heart, to put him to death.
18 He put on cursing like a robe, and it has come into his body like water, and into his bones like oil.
And he loved cursing, and it shall come unto him: and he would not have blessing, and it shall be far from him. And he put on cursing, like a garment: and it went in like water into his entrails, and like oil in his bones.
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 unto him like a garment which covereth him; and like a girdle with which he is girded continually.
20 Let this be the reward given to my haters from the Lord, and to those who say evil of my soul.
This is the work of them who detract me before the Lord; and who speak evils against my soul.
21 But, O Lord God, give me your help, because of your name; take me out of danger, because your mercy is good.
But thou, O Lord, do with for thy names sake: because thy mercy is sweet. Do thou deliver me.
22 For I am poor and in need, and my heart is wounded in me.
For I am poor and needy, and my heart is troubled 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 taken away like the shadow when it declineth: and I am shaken off as locusts.
24 My knees are feeble for need of food; there is no fat on my bones.
My knees are weakened through fasting: and my flesh is changed for oil.
25 As for me, they make sport of me; shaking their heads when they see me.
And I am become a reproach to them: they saw me and they shaked 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 thy mercy.
27 So that they may see that it is the work of your hand; that you, Lord, have done it.
And let them know that this is thy hand: and that thou, O Lord, hast 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.
They will curse and thou will bless: let them that rise up against me be confounded: but thy servant shall rejoice.
29 Let my haters be clothed with shame, covering themselves with shame as with a robe.
Let them that detract me be clothed with shame: and let them be covered with the their confusion as with a double cloak.
30 I will give the Lord great praise with my mouth; yes, I will give praise to him among all the people.
I will give great thanks to the Lord with my mouth: and in the midst of many I will praise him.
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.
Because he hath stood at the right hand of the poor, to save my soul from persecutors.
