Psalms 109
1 To the chief music-maker. Of David. A Psalm. God of my praise, let my prayer be answered;
“For the leader of the music. 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 the mouths of the wicked and the deceitful are opened against me; They speak against me with a lying tongue.
3 Words of hate are round about me; they have made war against me without cause.
They assault me on every side with words of hatred; They fight against me without a cause.
4 For my love they give me back hate; but I have given myself to prayer.
For my love they are my adversaries: But I give myself unto 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 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, may he be condemned, And may his prayer be a crime!
8 Let his life be short; let another take his position of authority.
May his days be few, And another take his office!
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 be vagabonds and beggars, And from their ruined dwellings seek their bread!
11 Let his creditor take all his goods; and let others have the profit of his work.
May a creditor seize on all that he hath, And a stranger plunder his substance!
12 Let no man have pity on him, or give help to his children when he is dead.
May there be none to show him compassion, And none to pity his fatherless children!
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 the next 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 by the LORD, And may 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 they be before the LORD continually; And may he 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.
Because he remembered not to show pity, But persecuted the afflicted and the poor man, And sought the death of the broken-hearted.
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, let it come upon him; As he delighted not in blessing, 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.
May he be clothed with cursing as with a garment; May it enter like water into his bowels, 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.
May it be to him like the robe that covereth him, Like the girdle with which he is constantly girded!
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 wages of mine adversaries from the LORD, And of them that 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 do thou, O LORD, my God! take part with me, For thine own name's sake! Because great is thy mercy, O deliver me!
22 For I am poor and in need, and my heart is wounded in me.
For I am afflicted 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 going like a shadow; I am driven away as the locust.
24 My knees are feeble for need of food; there is no fat on my bones.
My knees totter from fasting, And my flesh faileth of fatness.
25 As for me, they make sport of me; shaking their heads when they see me.
I am a reproach to my enemies; They gaze at 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! 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, 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.
Let them curse, but do thou bless! When they arise, let them be put to shame; But let thy servant rejoice!
29 Let my haters be clothed with shame, covering themselves with shame as with a robe.
May my enemies be clothed with ignominy; May they be covered with their shame, as with a mantle!
30 I will give the Lord great praise with my mouth; yes, I will give praise to him among all the people.
I will earnestly praise the LORD with my lips; In the midst of the multitude 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.
For he standeth at the right hand of the poor, To save him from those who would condemn him.
