Psalms 109

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

“To the chief musician, by David, a psalm.” O God of my praise, do not keep 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 are opened against me: they have spoken with me with the tongue of falsehood.

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

Also with words of hatred have they encompassed me, and they fight against me without a cause.

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

In recompense for my love are they my accusers, while I have nothing but prayer.

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

And they impose evil on me in recompense for good, and hatred in lieu of my love.

6 Put an evil man over him; and let one be placed at his right hand to say evil of him.

Appoint thou a wicked man over him: and 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 to be judged, let him go forth guilty, and let his prayer become sin.

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

Let his days be few, and let another take his office.

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 continually moving about, and beg, and let them seek [their bread] out of their ruined places.

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

Let the creditor lay snares after all that he hath, and let strangers plunder his labor.

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

Let him have none that extendeth kindness, and let there be none that is gracious to 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 another generation 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 remembered by the Lord, and let the sin of his mother not 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 from the earth their memory.

16 Because he had no mercy, but was cruel to the low and the poor, designing the death of the broken-hearted.

For the reason that he remembered not to show kindness; but persecuted the poor and needy man, and the grieved in heart to put him to 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.

As he loved cursing, so let it come over him: and as he delighted not in blessing, so let 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.

And he clothed himself with cursing as with his garment, and it cometh like water within him, 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 a garment in which he wrappeth himself, and for a girdle let him be continually girded with it.

20 Let this be the reward given to my haters from the Lord, and to those who say evil of my soul.

Let this be the reward of my accusers from the Lord, and of those 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 Eternal Lord, deal with me for the sake of thy name: because thy kindness is good, deliver thou me.

22 For I am poor and in need, and my heart is wounded in me.

For poor and needy am I, and my heart is deeply 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.

Like the shadow when it declineth do I hasten away: I am driven suddenly off like the locusts.

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

My knees stumble through fasting, and my flesh faileth of fatness.

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

And I am become a reproach 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 kindness:

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 truly 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 then curse, but do thou bless: when they arise, let them be made ashamed; but let thy servant rejoice.

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

Let my accusers be clothed with confusion, and let them wrap themselves, as with a mantle, in their own shame.

30 I will give the Lord great praise with my mouth; yes, I will give praise to him among all the people.

I will thank the Lord greatly with my mouth, and in the midst of many will I 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.

For he ever standeth at the right hand of the needy, to save him from those that judge his soul.