Psalms 109

1 To the chief Musician. Of David. A Psalm. O God of my praise, be not silent:

For the end, a Psalm of David. For the end, a Psalm of David. O God, pass not over my praise in silence;

2 For the mouth of the wicked [man] and the mouth of deceit are opened against me: they have spoken against me with a lying tongue,

for the mouth of the sinner and the mouth of the crafty [man] have been opened against me: they have spoken against me with a crafty tongue.

3 And with words of hatred have they encompassed me; and they fight against me without a cause.

And they have compassed me with words of hatred; and fought against me without a cause.

4 For my love they are mine adversaries; but I [give myself unto] prayer.

Instead of loving me, they falsely accused me: but I continued to pray.

5 And they have rewarded me evil for good, and hatred for my love.

And they rewarded me evil for good, and hatred for my love.

6 Set a wicked [man] over him, and let [the] adversary stand at his right hand;

Set thou a sinner against him; and let the devil stand at his right hand.

7 When he shall be judged, let him go out guilty, and let his prayer become sin;

When he is judged, let him go forth condemned: and let his prayer become sin.

8 Let his days be few, let another take his office;

Let his days be few: and let another take his office of overseer.

9 Let his sons be fatherless, and his wife a widow;

Let his children be orphans, and his wife a widow.

10 Let his sons be vagabonds and beg, and let them seek [their bread] far from their desolate places;

Let his children wander without a dwelling-place, and beg: let them be cast out of their habitations.

11 Let the usurer cast the net over all that he hath, and let strangers despoil his labour;

Let [his] creditor exact all that belongs to him: and let strangers spoil his labours.

12 Let there be none to extend kindness unto him, neither let there be any to favour his fatherless children;

Let him have no helper; neither let there be any one to have compassion on his fatherless children.

13 Let his posterity be cut off; in the generation following let their name be blotted out:

Let his children be [given up] to utter destruction: in one generation let his name be blotted out.

14 Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered with Jehovah, and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out;

Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the Lord; and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out.

15 Let them be before Jehovah continually, that he may cut off the memory of them from the earth:

Let them be before the Lord continually; and let their memorial be blotted out from the earth.

16 Because he remembered not to shew kindness, but persecuted the afflicted and needy man, and the broken in heart, to slay him.

Because he remembered not to shew mercy, but persecuted the needy and poor man, and [that] to slay him that was pricked in the heart.

17 And he loved cursing; so let it come unto him. And he delighted not in blessing; and let it be far from him.

He loved cursing also, and it shall come upon him; and he took not pleasure in blessing, so it shall be removed far from him.

18 And he clothed himself with cursing like his vestment; so let it come into his bowels like water, and like oil into his bones;

Yea, he put on cursing as a garment, and it is come as water into his bowels, and as oil into his bones.

19 Let it be unto him as a garment with which he covereth himself, and for a girdle wherewith he is constantly girded.

Let it be to him as a garment which he puts on, and as a girdle with which he girds himself continually.

20 Let this be the reward of mine adversaries from Jehovah, and of them that speak evil against my soul.

This is the dealing of the Lord with those who falsely accuse me, and of them that speak evil against my soul.

21 But do thou for me, Jehovah, Lord, for thy name's sake; because thy loving-kindness is good, deliver me:

But thou, O Lord, Lord, deal [mercifully] with me, for thy name's sake: for thy mercy is good.

22 For I am afflicted and needy, and my heart is wounded within me.

Deliver me, for I am poor and needy; and my heart is troubled within me.

23 I am gone like a shadow when it lengtheneth; I am tossed about like the locust;

I am removed as a shadow in its going down: I am tossed up and down like locusts.

24 My knees are failing through fasting, and my flesh hath lost its fatness;

My knees are weakened through fasting, and my flesh is changed by reason of [the want of] oil.

25 And I am become a reproach unto them; [when] they look upon me they shake their heads.

I became also a reproach to them: [when] they saw me they shook their heads.

26 Help me, Jehovah my God; save me according to thy loving-kindness:

Help me, O Lord my God; and save me according to thy mercy.

27 That they may know that this is thy hand; that thou, Jehovah, hast done it.

And let them know that this is thy hand; and [that] thou, Lord, hast wrought it.

28 Let them curse, but bless thou; when they rise up, let them be ashamed, and let thy servant rejoice.

Let them curse, but thou shalt bless: let them that rise up against me be ashamed, but let thy servant rejoice.

29 Let mine adversaries be clothed with confusion, and let them cover themselves with their shame as with a mantle.

Let those that falsely accuse me be clothed with shame, and let them cover themselves with their shame as with a mantle.

30 I will greatly celebrate Jehovah with my mouth; yea, I will praise him among the multitude.

I will give thanks to the Lord abundantly with my mouth; and in the midst of many I will praise him.

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

For he stood on the right hand of the poor, to save [me] from them that persecute my soul.