Psalms 109

1 To the chief music-maker. Of David. A Psalm. God of my praise, let my prayer be answered;

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

2 For the mouth of the sinner is open against me in deceit: his tongue has said false things against me.

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 Words of hate are round about me; they have made war against me without cause.

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

4 For my love they give me back hate; but I have given myself to prayer.

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

5 They have put on me evil for good; hate in exchange for my love.

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

8 Let his life be short; let another take his position of authority.

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

9 Let his children have no father, and his wife be made a widow.

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

11 Let his creditor take all his goods; and let others have the profit of his work.

Let the creditor distrain all that he hath; and let strangers make spoil of his labour.

12 Let no man have pity on him, or give help to his children when he is dead.

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

13 Let his seed be cut off; in the coming generation let their name go out of memory.

Let his posterity be cut off; in the generation following let their 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.

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 Let them be ever before the eyes of the Lord, so that the memory of them may be cut off from the earth.

Let them be before the LORD continually, that He may cut off the memory of them 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 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 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.

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

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 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.

Let it be unto him as the garment which he putteth on, and for the girdle wherewith 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 would mine adversaries effect from the LORD, and they that speak evil 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 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 in need, and my heart is wounded in me.

For I am poor and needy, and 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 gone like the shadow when it lengtheneth; I am shaken off as the locust.

24 My knees are feeble for need of food; there is no fat on my bones.

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

25 As for me, they make sport of me; shaking their heads when they see me.

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

26 Give me help, O Lord my God; in your mercy be my saviour;

Help me, O LORD my God; O 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.

That they may know that this is Thy hand; that Thou, 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.

Let them curse, but bless Thou; when they arise, they shall be put to shame, but Thy servant shall rejoice.

29 Let my haters be clothed with shame, covering themselves with shame as with a robe.

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

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 unto the LORD with my mouth; yea, I will praise Him among the multitude;

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