Psalms 109
1 To him that excelleth. A Psalme of David. Holde not thy tongue, O God of my praise.
For the music director. A psalm of David. God, the one I praise, please don't remain silent,
2 For the mouth of the wicked, and the mouth full of deceite are opened vpon me: they haue spoken to me with a lying tongue.
because wicked and deceitful people are attacking me, telling lies about me.
3 They compassed me about also with words of hatred, and fought against me without a cause.
They surround me with words of hate, fighting against me for no reason.
4 For my friendship they were mine aduersaries, but I gaue my selfe to praier.
I love them, but they respond with hostility towards me, even while I'm praying for them!
5 And they haue rewarded me euil for good, and hatred for my friendship.
They pay me back with evil instead of good, with hatred instead of love.
6 Set thou the wicked ouer him, and let the aduersarie stand at his right hand.
“Appoint someone wicked over him. Have someone stand as an accuser against him.
7 Whe he shalbe iudged, let him be condemned, and let his praier be turned into sinne.
When he is judged and sentenced, may he be found guilty. Let his prayers be counted as sins.
8 Let his daies be fewe, and let another take his charge.
May his life be short; let someone else take over his position.
9 Let his children be fatherlesse, and his wife a widowe.
May his children be left fatherless, and his wife become a widow.
10 Let his children be vagabonds and beg and seeke bread, comming out of their places destroyed.
May his children be homeless, wandering beggars, driven from their ruined houses.
11 Let the extortioner catch al that he hath, and let the strangers spoile his labour.
May creditors seize all that he owns; may strangers take all that he worked for.
12 Let there be none to extend mercie vnto him: neither let there be any to shewe mercie vpon his fatherlesse children.
May no one be kind to him; may no one take pity on his fatherless children.
13 Let his posteritie be destroied, and in the generation following let their name be put out.
May his descendants die; may his family name be wiped out in the next generation.
14 Let the iniquitie of his fathers bee had in remembrance with the Lord: and let not the sinne of his mother be done away.
May the Lord be reminded of the sins of his fathers; may his mother's sins not be blotted out.
15 But let them alway be before the Lord, that he may cut off their memorial from ye earth.
May their sins be constantly before the Lord; may his name be totally forgotten by people.
16 Because he remembred not to shew mercie, but persecuted the afflicted and poore man, and the sorowfull hearted to slay him.
For he didn't think to be kind to others, instead he harassed and killed the poor, the needy, the brokenhearted.
17 As he loued cursing, so shall it come vnto him, and as he loued not blessing, so shall it be farre from him.
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 As he clothed himselfe with cursing like a rayment, so shall it come into his bowels like water, and like oyle into 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 Let it be vnto him as a garment to couer him, and for a girdle, wherewith he shalbe alway girded.
May his curses stick to him like clothing, may they be pulled tight around him like a belt.”
20 Let this be the rewarde of mine aduersarie from the Lord, and of them, that speake euill against my soule.
May all this be the punishment of the Lord on my enemies, on those who speak evil of me.
21 But thou, O Lord my God, deale with me according vnto thy Name: deliuer me, (for thy mercie is good)
But treat me well, Lord God, because of your own reputation. Save me because you are faithful and good.
22 Because I am poore and needie, and mine heart is wounded within me.
For I am poor and needy, and my heart is breaking.
23 I depart like the shadowe that declineth, and am shaken off as the grashopper.
I am fading away like an evening shadow; I am like a locust that is shaken off.
24 My knees are weake through fasting, and my flesh hath lost all fatnes.
I am so weak from lack of food that my legs give way; my body is just skin and bones.
25 I became also a rebuke vnto them: they that looked vpon me, shaked their heads.
People ridicule me—they look at me and shake their heads!
26 Helpe me, O Lord my God: saue me according to thy mercie.
Help me, Lord my God; save me because of your trustworthy love.
27 And they shall know, that this is thine hand, and that thou, Lord, hast done it.
May they recognize that this is what you are doing—that you are the one who saves me.
28 Though they curse, yet thou wilt blesse: they shall arise and be confounded, but thy seruant shall reioyce.
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 mine aduersaries be clothed with shame, and let them couer themselues with their confusion, as with a cloke.
May those who accuse me be clothed with disgrace; may they cover themselves with a cloak of shame.
30 I will giue thankes vnto the Lord greatly with my mouth and praise him among ye multitude.
But I will keep on thanking the Lord, praising him to everyone around me.
31 For he will stand at the right hand of the poore, to saue him from them that woulde condemne his soule.
For he takes a stand to defend the needy, to save them from those who condemn them.
