Psalms 109
1 Unto the end, a psalm for David.
For the music director. A psalm of David. God, the one I praise, please don't remain silent,
2 O God, be not thou silent in thy praise: for the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful man is opened against me.
because wicked and deceitful people are attacking me, telling lies about me.
3 They have spoken against with deceitful tongues; and they have compassed me about with words of hatred; and have fought against me without cause.
They surround me with words of hate, fighting against me for no reason.
4 Instead of making me a return of love, they detracted me: but I gave myself to prayer.
I love them, but they respond with hostility towards me, even while I'm praying for them!
5 And they repaid me evil for good: and hatred for my love.
They pay me back with evil instead of good, with hatred instead of love.
6 Set thou the sinner over him: and may the devil stand at his right hand.
“Appoint someone wicked over him. Have someone stand as an accuser against him.
7 When he is judged, may he go out condemned; and may his prayer be turned to sin.
When he is judged and sentenced, may he be found guilty. Let his prayers be counted as sins.
8 May his days be few: and his bishopric let another take.
May his life be short; let someone else take over his position.
9 May his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow.
May his children be left fatherless, and his wife become a widow.
10 Let his children be carried about vagabonds, and beg; and let them be cast out of their dwellings.
May his children be homeless, wandering beggars, driven from their ruined houses.
11 May the userer search all his substance: and let strangers plunder his labours.
May creditors seize all that he owns; may strangers take all that he worked for.
12 May there be none to help him: nor none to pity his fatherless offspring.
May no one be kind to him; may no one take pity on his fatherless children.
13 May his posterity be cut off; in one generation may his name be blotted out.
May his descendants die; may his family name be wiped out in the next generation.
14 May the iniquity of his fathers be remembered in the sight of the Lord: and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out.
May the Lord be reminded of the sins of his fathers; may his mother's sins not be blotted out.
15 May they be before the lord continually, and let the memory of them perish from the earth:
May their sins be constantly before the Lord; may his name be totally forgotten by people.
16 Because he remembered not to show mercy,
For he didn't think to be kind to others, instead he harassed and killed the poor, the needy, the brokenhearted.
17 But persecuted the poor man and the beggar; and the broken in heart, to put him to death.
He loved to put a curse on others—let it come back on him. He had no time for blessings—so may he never receive any.
18 And he loved cursing, and it shall come unto him: and he would not have blessing, and it shall be far from him. And he put on cursing, like a garment: and it went in like water into his entrails, and like oil in his bones.
He cursed as often as he got dressed. May his curses go into him like the water he drinks, like the olive oil he rubs on his skin that enters his bones.
19 May it be unto him like a garment which covereth him; and like a girdle with which he is girded continually.
May his curses stick to him like clothing, may they be pulled tight around him like a belt.”
20 This is the work of them who detract me before the Lord; and who speak evils against my soul.
May all this be the punishment of the Lord on my enemies, on those who speak evil of me.
21 But thou, O Lord, do with for thy names sake: because thy mercy is sweet. Do thou deliver me.
But treat me well, Lord God, because of your own reputation. Save me because you are faithful and good.
22 For I am poor and needy, and my heart is troubled within me.
For I am poor and needy, and my heart is breaking.
23 I am taken away like the shadow when it declineth: and I am shaken off as locusts.
I am fading away like an evening shadow; I am like a locust that is shaken off.
24 My knees are weakened through fasting: and my flesh is changed for oil.
I am so weak from lack of food that my legs give way; my body is just skin and bones.
25 And I am become a reproach to them: they saw me and they shaked their heads,
People ridicule me—they look at me and shake their heads!
26 Help me, O Lord my God; save me according to thy mercy.
Help me, Lord my God; save me because of your trustworthy love.
27 And let them know that this is thy hand: and that thou, O Lord, hast done it.
May they recognize that this is what you are doing—that you are the one who saves me.
28 They will curse and thou will bless: let them that rise up against me be confounded: but thy servant shall rejoice.
When they curse me, you will bless me. When they attack me, you will defeat them. And I, your servant, will be happy.
29 Let them that detract me be clothed with shame: and let them be covered with the their confusion as with a double cloak.
May those who accuse me be clothed with disgrace; may they cover themselves with a cloak of shame.
30 I will give great thanks to the Lord with my mouth: and in the midst of many I will praise him.
But I will keep on thanking the Lord, praising him to everyone around me.
31 Because he hath stood at the right hand of the poor, to save my soul from persecutors.
For he takes a stand to defend the needy, to save them from those who condemn them.
