Psalms 109
1 To him that excelleth. A Psalme of David. Holde not thy tongue, O God of my praise.
For the leader. Of David, a psalm. O God whom I praise, keep not silence;
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.
for their wicked mouths they have opened against me, they speak to me with tongues that are false,
3 They compassed me about also with words of hatred, and fought against me without a cause.
they beset me with words of hatred, and fight without cause against me.
4 For my friendship they were mine aduersaries, but I gaue my selfe to praier.
My love they requite with hostility, while for them I lift up my prayer.
5 And they haue rewarded me euil for good, and hatred for my friendship.
Evil for good they reward me, and hatred for my love.
6 Set thou the wicked ouer him, and let the aduersarie stand at his right hand.
‘Set over him one who is godless,’ they say, ‘an opponent at his right hand.
7 Whe he shalbe iudged, let him be condemned, and let his praier be turned into sinne.
From his trial let him come forth guilty, may his prayer be counted as sin.
8 Let his daies be fewe, and let another take his charge.
Grant that his days may be few, that his office be seized by another.
9 Let his children be fatherlesse, and his wife a widowe.
Grant that his children be fatherless, and that his wife be a widow.
10 Let his children be vagabonds and beg and seeke bread, comming out of their places destroyed.
Up and down may his children go begging, expelled from their desolate home.
11 Let the extortioner catch al that he hath, and let the strangers spoile his labour.
May all that he owns be seized by the creditor may strangers plunder the fruits of his toil.
12 Let there be none to extend mercie vnto him: neither let there be any to shewe mercie vpon his fatherlesse children.
‘May none extend to him kindness, or pity his fatherless children.
13 Let his posteritie be destroied, and in the generation following let their name be put out.
His descendants be doomed to destruction! Blotted out be his name in one 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 his father’s guilt be remembered, and his mother’s sin not blotted out:
15 But let them alway be before the Lord, that he may cut off their memorial from ye earth.
on record always before the Lord, and his memory root from the earth;
16 Because he remembred not to shew mercie, but persecuted the afflicted and poore man, and the sorowfull hearted to slay him.
for he gave no thought to show kindness, but pursued the poor and the needy, drove the downhearted to death.
17 As he loued cursing, so shall it come vnto him, and as he loued not blessing, so shall it be farre from him.
‘May the curses he loved light upon him, may the blessings he loathed be afar.
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.
Like a garment he clothed him with curses; may they pierce to his inwards like water, and cling to his bones like oil.
19 Let it be vnto him as a garment to couer him, and for a girdle, wherewith he shalbe alway girded.
Let them be like the robe he wraps round him, like the belt he wears every day.’
20 Let this be the rewarde of mine aduersarie from the Lord, and of them, that speake euill against my soule.
Be this the reward of my adversaries, of those who speak evil against me.
21 But thou, O Lord my God, deale with me according vnto thy Name: deliuer me, (for thy mercie is good)
But you, Lord my God, be true to your name, deal kindly with me; in your gracious kindness save me.
22 Because I am poore and needie, and mine heart is wounded within me.
For I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me.
23 I depart like the shadowe that declineth, and am shaken off as the grashopper.
I am gone like a lengthening shadow, I am shaken off like a locust.
24 My knees are weake through fasting, and my flesh hath lost all fatnes.
My knees totter from fasting, my flesh is shrivelled and spare.
25 I became also a rebuke vnto them: they that looked vpon me, shaked their heads.
They heap insults upon me: when they see me, they shake their head.
26 Helpe me, O Lord my God: saue me according to thy mercie.
Help me, O Lord my God, and save me in your kindness.
27 And they shall know, that this is thine hand, and that thou, Lord, hast done it.
Teach them that this is your hand, and your own doing, O Lord.
28 Though they curse, yet thou wilt blesse: they shall arise and be confounded, but thy seruant shall reioyce.
Let them curse, if only you bless. Put my assailants to shame, and make your servant glad.
29 Let mine aduersaries be clothed with shame, and let them couer themselues with their confusion, as with a cloke.
My opponents be clothed with dishonour, and wrapped in a robe of shame.
30 I will giue thankes vnto the Lord greatly with my mouth and praise him among ye multitude.
I give thanks to you, Lord, with loud voice, I give praise in the midst of the throng;
31 For he will stand at the right hand of the poore, to saue him from them that woulde condemne his soule.
for he stands by the poor, at his right hand, to save them from those who condemn them.
