Psalms 109
1 Unto the end, a psalm for David.
For the leader. Of David, a psalm. O God whom I praise, keep not silence;
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.
for their wicked mouths they have opened against me, they speak to me with tongues that are false,
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 beset me with words of hatred, and fight without cause against me.
4 Instead of making me a return of love, they detracted me: but I gave myself to prayer.
My love they requite with hostility, while for them I lift up my prayer.
5 And they repaid me evil for good: and hatred for my love.
Evil for good they reward me, and hatred for my love.
6 Set thou the sinner over him: and may the devil stand at his right hand.
‘Set over him one who is godless,’ they say, ‘an opponent at his right hand.
7 When he is judged, may he go out condemned; and may his prayer be turned to sin.
From his trial let him come forth guilty, may his prayer be counted as sin.
8 May his days be few: and his bishopric let another take.
Grant that his days may be few, that his office be seized by another.
9 May his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow.
Grant that his children be fatherless, and that his wife be a widow.
10 Let his children be carried about vagabonds, and beg; and let them be cast out of their dwellings.
Up and down may his children go begging, expelled from their desolate home.
11 May the userer search all his substance: and let strangers plunder his labours.
May all that he owns be seized by the creditor may strangers plunder the fruits of his toil.
12 May there be none to help him: nor none to pity his fatherless offspring.
‘May none extend to him kindness, or pity his fatherless children.
13 May his posterity be cut off; in one generation may his name be blotted out.
His descendants be doomed to destruction! Blotted out be his name in one 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 his father’s guilt be remembered, and his mother’s sin not blotted out:
15 May they be before the lord continually, and let the memory of them perish from the earth:
on record always before the Lord, and his memory root from the earth;
16 Because he remembered not to show mercy,
for he gave no thought to show kindness, but pursued the poor and the needy, drove the downhearted to death.
17 But persecuted the poor man and the beggar; and the broken in heart, to put him to death.
‘May the curses he loved light upon him, may the blessings he loathed be afar.
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.
Like a garment he clothed him with curses; may they pierce to his inwards like water, and cling to his bones like oil.
19 May it be unto him like a garment which covereth him; and like a girdle with which he is girded continually.
Let them be like the robe he wraps round him, like the belt he wears every day.’
20 This is the work of them who detract me before the Lord; and who speak evils against my soul.
Be this the reward of my adversaries, of those who speak evil against me.
21 But thou, O Lord, do with for thy names sake: because thy mercy is sweet. Do thou deliver me.
But you, Lord my God, be true to your name, deal kindly with me; in your gracious kindness save me.
22 For I am poor and needy, and my heart is troubled within me.
For I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me.
23 I am taken away like the shadow when it declineth: and I am shaken off as locusts.
I am gone like a lengthening shadow, I am shaken off like a locust.
24 My knees are weakened through fasting: and my flesh is changed for oil.
My knees totter from fasting, my flesh is shrivelled and spare.
25 And I am become a reproach to them: they saw me and they shaked their heads,
They heap insults upon me: when they see me, they shake their head.
26 Help me, O Lord my God; save me according to thy mercy.
Help me, O Lord my God, and save me in your kindness.
27 And let them know that this is thy hand: and that thou, O Lord, hast done it.
Teach them that this is your hand, and your own doing, O Lord.
28 They will curse and thou will bless: let them that rise up against me be confounded: but thy servant shall rejoice.
Let them curse, if only you bless. Put my assailants to shame, and make your servant glad.
29 Let them that detract me be clothed with shame: and let them be covered with the their confusion as with a double cloak.
My opponents be clothed with dishonour, and wrapped in a robe of shame.
30 I will give great thanks to the Lord with my mouth: and in the midst of many I will praise him.
I give thanks to you, Lord, with loud voice, I give praise in the midst of the throng;
31 Because he hath stood at the right hand of the poor, to save my soul from persecutors.
for he stands by the poor, at his right hand, to save them from those who condemn them.
