Psalms 109
1 Unto the end. A Psalm of David.
TO THE OVERSEER. A PSALM OF DAVID. O God of my praise, do not be silent,
2 O God, do not be silent toward my praise, for the mouth of the sinner and the mouth of the deceitful one have been opened against me.
For the mouth of wickedness, and the mouth of deceit, They have opened against me, They have spoken with me—A tongue of falsehood, and words of hatred!
3 They have spoken against me with deceitful tongues, and they have surrounded me with hateful words, and they fought against me over nothing.
They have surrounded me about, And they fight me without cause.
4 Instead of choosing to act on my behalf, they detracted me. But I gave myself to prayer.
For my love they oppose me, and I—prayer!
5 And they set evil against me, instead of good, and hatred, in return for my love.
And they set against me evil for good, And hatred for my love.
6 Establish the sinner over him, and let the devil stand at his right hand.
Appoint the wicked over him, And an adversary stands at his right hand.
7 When he is judged, may he go forth in condemnation, and may his prayer be counted as sin.
In his being judged, he goes forth wicked, And his prayer is for sin.
8 May his days be few, and let another take his episcopate.
His days are few, another takes his oversight,
9 May his sons be orphans, and his wife a widow.
His sons are fatherless, and his wife a widow.
10 May his sons be carried by those who walk unsteadily, and may they go begging. And may they be cast out of their dwelling places.
And his sons wander continually, Indeed, they have begged, And have sought out of their dry places.
11 May the money lenders scrutinize all his belongings, and let foreigners plunder his labors.
An exactor lays a snare for all that he has, And strangers spoil his labor.
12 May there be no one to assist him, nor anyone to be compassionate to his orphaned children.
He has none to extend kindness, Nor is there one showing favor to his orphans.
13 May his posterity be in utter ruin. In one generation, may his name be wiped away.
His posterity is for cutting off, Their name is blotted out in another generation.
14 May the iniquity of his fathers return in memory before the sight of the Lord, and do not let the sin of his mother be wiped away.
The iniquity of his fathers Is remembered to YHWH, And the sin of his mother is not blotted out.
15 May these be opposite the Lord always, but let their memory perish from the earth.
They are continually before YHWH, And He cuts off their memorial from earth.
16 For certain things are not remembered about them, in order to be merciful.
Because that he has not remembered to do kindness, And pursues the poor man and needy, And the struck of heart—to slay,
17 And so the destitute man was pursued, with the beggar and the remorseful in heart, so as to be put to death.
And he loves reviling, and it meets him, And he has not delighted in blessing, And it is far from him.
18 And he loved a curse, and it came to him. And he was unwilling to have a blessing, and it went far from him. And he clothed himself with curses like a garment, and it entered his inner self like water, and it entered his bones like oil.
And he puts on reviling as his robe, And it comes in as water into his midst, And as oil into his bones.
19 May it be to him like a garment that covers him, and like a belt that always cinches him.
It is to him as apparel—he covers himself, And he girds it on for a continual girdle.
20 This is the work of those who detract me with the Lord and who speak evils against my soul.
This [is] the wage of my accusers from YHWH, And of those speaking evil against my soul.
21 But as for you, Lord, O Lord: act on my behalf for your name’s sake. For your mercy is sweet.
And You, O Lord YHWH, Deal with me for Your Name’s sake, Because Your kindness [is] good, deliver me.
22 Free me, for I am destitute and poor, and my heart has been disquieted within me.
For I [am] poor and needy, And my heart has been pierced in my midst.
23 I have been taken away like a shadow when it declines, and I have been shaken off like locusts.
I have gone as a shadow when it is stretched out, I have been driven away as a locust.
24 My knees have been weakened by fasting, and my flesh has been replaced by oil.
My knees have been feeble from fasting, And my flesh has failed of fatness.
25 And I have become a disgrace to them. They saw me, and they shook their heads.
And I have been a reproach to them, They see me, they shake their head.
26 Help me, O Lord, my God. Save me according to your mercy.
Help me, O YHWH my God, Save me, according to Your kindness.
27 And let them know that this is your hand, and that you, O Lord, have done this.
And they know that this [is] Your hand, You, O YHWH, You have done it.
28 They will curse, and you will bless. May those who rise up against me be confounded. But your servant will rejoice.
They revile, and You bless, They have risen, and are ashamed, And Your servant rejoices.
29 May those who detract me be clothed with shame, and may they be covered with their confusion, as if with a double cloak.
My accusers put on blushing, and are covered, Their shame [is] as an upper robe.
30 I will confess exceedingly to the Lord with my mouth. And I will praise him in the midst of the multitude.
I thank YHWH greatly with my mouth, And I praise Him in the midst of many,
31 For he stands at the right hand of the poor, in order to save my soul from persecutors.
For He stands at the right hand of the needy, To save from those judging his soul.
