Psalms 109
1 For the music director. A psalm of David. God, the one I praise, please don't remain silent,
To the chief music-maker. Of David. A Psalm. God of my praise, let my prayer be answered;
2 because wicked and deceitful people are attacking me, telling lies about me.
For the mouth of the sinner is open against me in deceit: his tongue has said false things against me.
3 They surround me with words of hate, fighting against me for no reason.
Words of hate are round about me; they have made war against me without cause.
4 I love them, but they respond with hostility towards me, even while I'm praying for them!
For my love they give me back hate; but I have given myself to prayer.
5 They pay me back with evil instead of good, with hatred instead of love.
They have put on me evil for good; hate in exchange for my love.
6 “Appoint someone wicked over him. Have someone stand as an accuser against him.
Put an evil man over him; and let one be placed at his right hand to say evil of him.
7 When he is judged and sentenced, may he be found guilty. Let his prayers be counted as sins.
When he is judged, let the decision go against him; and may his prayer become sin.
8 May his life be short; let someone else take over his position.
Let his life be short; let another take his position of authority.
9 May his children be left fatherless, and his wife become a widow.
Let his children have no father, and his wife be made a widow.
10 May his children be homeless, wandering beggars, driven from their ruined houses.
Let his children be wanderers, looking to others for their food; let them be sent away from the company of their friends.
11 May creditors seize all that he owns; may strangers take all that he worked for.
Let his creditor take all his goods; and let others have the profit of his work.
12 May no one be kind to him; may no one take pity on his fatherless children.
Let no man have pity on him, or give help to his children when he is dead.
13 May his descendants die; may his family name be wiped out in the next generation.
Let his seed be cut off; in the coming generation let their name go out of memory.
14 May the Lord be reminded of the sins of his fathers; may his mother's sins not be blotted out.
Let the Lord keep in mind the wrongdoing of his fathers; and may the sin of his mother have no forgiveness.
15 May their sins be constantly before the Lord; may his name be totally forgotten by people.
Let them be ever before the eyes of the Lord, so that the memory of them may be cut off from the earth.
16 For he didn't think to be kind to others, instead he harassed and killed the poor, the needy, the brokenhearted.
Because he had no mercy, but was cruel to the low and the poor, designing the death of the broken-hearted.
17 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.
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.
18 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.
He put on cursing like a robe, and it has come into his body like water, and into his bones like oil.
19 May his curses stick to him like clothing, may they be pulled tight around him like a belt.”
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.
20 May all this be the punishment of the Lord on my enemies, on those who speak evil of me.
Let this be the reward given to my haters from the Lord, and to those who say evil of my soul.
21 But treat me well, Lord God, because of your own reputation. Save me because you are faithful and good.
But, O Lord God, give me your help, because of your name; take me out of danger, because your mercy is good.
22 For I am poor and needy, and my heart is breaking.
For I am poor and in need, and my heart is wounded in me.
23 I am fading away like an evening shadow; I am like a locust that is shaken off.
I am gone like the shade when it is stretched out: I am forced out of my place like a locust.
24 I am so weak from lack of food that my legs give way; my body is just skin and bones.
My knees are feeble for need of food; there is no fat on my bones.
25 People ridicule me—they look at me and shake their heads!
As for me, they make sport of me; shaking their heads when they see me.
26 Help me, Lord my God; save me because of your trustworthy love.
Give me help, O Lord my God; in your mercy be my saviour;
27 May they recognize that this is what you are doing—that you are the one who saves me.
So that they may see that it is the work of your hand; that you, Lord, have done it.
28 When they curse me, you will bless me. When they attack me, you will defeat them. And I, your servant, will be happy.
They may give curses but you give blessing; when they come up against me, put them to shame; but let your servant be glad.
29 May those who accuse me be clothed with disgrace; may they cover themselves with a cloak of shame.
Let my haters be clothed with shame, covering themselves with shame as with a robe.
30 But I will keep on thanking the Lord, praising him to everyone around me.
I will give the Lord great praise with my mouth; yes, I will give praise to him among all the people.
31 For he takes a stand to defend the needy, to save them from those who condemn them.
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.
