Psalms 109
1 For the music director. A psalm of David. God, the one I praise, please don't remain silent,
For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David. God of my praise, don’t remain silent,
2 because wicked and deceitful people are attacking me, telling lies about me.
for they have opened the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of deceit against me. They have spoken to me with a lying tongue.
3 They surround me with words of hate, fighting against me for no reason.
They have also surrounded me with words of hatred, and fought against me without a cause.
4 I love them, but they respond with hostility towards me, even while I'm praying for them!
In return for my love, they are my adversaries; but I am in prayer.
5 They pay me back with evil instead of good, with hatred instead of love.
They have rewarded me evil for good, and hatred for my love.
6 “Appoint someone wicked over him. Have someone stand as an accuser against him.
Set a wicked man over him. Let an adversary stand at his right hand.
7 When he is judged and sentenced, may he be found guilty. Let his prayers be counted as sins.
When he is judged, let him come out guilty. Let his prayer be turned into sin.
8 May his life be short; let someone else take over his position.
Let his days be few. Let another take his office.
9 May his children be left fatherless, and his wife become a widow.
Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow.
10 May his children be homeless, wandering beggars, driven from their ruined houses.
Let his children be wandering beggars. Let them be sought from their ruins.
11 May creditors seize all that he owns; may strangers take all that he worked for.
Let the creditor seize all that he has. Let strangers plunder the fruit of his labour.
12 May no one be kind to him; may no one take pity on his fatherless children.
Let there be no one to extend kindness to him, neither let there be anyone to have pity on his fatherless children.
13 May his descendants die; may his family name be wiped out in the next generation.
Let his posterity be cut off. In the generation following let their name be blotted out.
14 May the Lord be reminded of the sins of his fathers; may his mother's sins not be blotted out.
Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered by the LORD. Don’t let the sin of his mother be blotted out.
15 May their sins be constantly before the Lord; may his name be totally forgotten by people.
Let them be before the LORD continually, that he may cut off their memory 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 didn’t remember to show kindness, but persecuted the poor and needy man, the broken in heart, to kill them.
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.
Yes, he loved cursing, and it came to him. He didn’t delight in blessing, and it was 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 clothed himself also with cursing as with his garment. It came into his inward parts like water, like oil into his bones.
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 the clothing with which he covers himself, for the belt that is always around him.
20 May all this be the punishment of the Lord on my enemies, on those who speak evil of me.
This is the reward of my adversaries from the LORD, of those who speak evil against my soul.
21 But treat me well, Lord God, because of your own reputation. Save me because you are faithful and good.
But deal with me, GOD the Lord, for your name’s sake, because your loving kindness is good, deliver me;
22 For I am poor and needy, and my heart is breaking.
for I am poor and needy. My heart is wounded within me.
23 I am fading away like an evening shadow; I am like a locust that is shaken off.
I fade away like an evening shadow. I am shaken off 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 weak through fasting. My body is thin and lacks fat.
25 People ridicule me—they look at me and shake their heads!
I have also become a reproach to them. When they see me, they shake their head.
26 Help me, Lord my God; save me because of your trustworthy love.
Help me, LORD, my God. Save me according to your loving kindness;
27 May they recognize that this is what you are doing—that you are the one who saves me.
that they may know that this is 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 curse, but you bless. When they arise, they will be shamed, but your servant shall rejoice.
29 May those who accuse me be clothed with disgrace; may they cover themselves with a cloak of shame.
Let my adversaries be clothed with dishonour. Let them cover themselves with their own shame as with a robe.
30 But I will keep on thanking the Lord, praising him to everyone around me.
I will give great thanks to the LORD with my mouth. Yes, I will praise him amongst the multitude.
31 For he takes a stand to defend the needy, to save them from those who condemn them.
For he will stand at the right hand of the needy, to save him from those who judge his soul.
