Psalms 109

1 For the Leader. A Psalm of David. O God of my praise, keep not silence;

“To the chief musician, by David, a psalm.” O God of my praise, do not keep silence.

2 For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of deceit have they opened against me; they have spoken unto me with a lying tongue.

For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of deceit are opened against me: they have spoken with me with the tongue of falsehood.

3 They compassed me about also with words of hatred, and fought against me without a cause.

Also with words of hatred have they encompassed me, and they fight against me without a cause.

4 In return for my love they are my adversaries; but I am all prayer.

In recompense for my love are they my accusers, while I have nothing but prayer.

5 And they have laid upon me evil for good, and hatred for my love:

And they impose evil on me in recompense for good, and hatred in lieu of my love.

6 'Set Thou a wicked man over him; and let an adversary stand at his right hand.

Appoint thou a wicked man over him: and let an accuser stand at his right hand.

7 When he is judged, let him go forth condemned; and let his prayer be turned into sin.

When he is to be judged, let him go forth guilty, and let his prayer become sin.

8 Let his days be few; let another take his charge.

Let his days be few, and let another take his office.

9 Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow.

Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow.

10 Let his children be vagabonds, and beg; and let them seek their bread out of their desolate places.

Let his children be continually moving about, and beg, and let them seek [their bread] out of their ruined places.

11 Let the creditor distrain all that he hath; and let strangers make spoil of his labour.

Let the creditor lay snares after all that he hath, and let strangers plunder his labor.

12 Let there be none to extend kindness unto him; neither let there be any to be gracious unto his fatherless children.

Let him have none that extendeth kindness, and let there be none that is gracious to his fatherless children.

13 Let his posterity be cut off; in the generation following let their name be blotted out.

Let his posterity be cut off: in another generation let their name be blotted out.

14 Let the iniquity of his fathers be brought to remembrance unto the LORD; and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out.

Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered by the Lord, and let the sin of his mother not be blotted out.

15 Let them be before the LORD continually, that He may cut off the memory of them from the earth.

Let them be before the Lord continually, that he may cut off from the earth their memory.

16 Because that he remembered not to do kindness, but persecuted the poor and needy man, and the broken in heart he was ready to slay.

For the reason that he remembered not to show kindness; but persecuted the poor and needy man, and the grieved in heart to put him to death.

17 Yea, he loved cursing, and it came unto him; and he delighted not in blessing, and it is far from him.

As he loved cursing, so let it come over him: and as he delighted not in blessing, so let it be far from him.

18 He clothed himself also with cursing as with his raiment, and it is come into his inward parts like water, and like oil into his bones.

And he clothed himself with cursing as with his garment, and it cometh like water within him, and like oil into his bones.

19 Let it be unto him as the garment which he putteth on, and for the girdle wherewith he is girded continually.'

Let it be unto him as a garment in which he wrappeth himself, and for a girdle let him be continually girded with it.

20 This would mine adversaries effect from the LORD, and they that speak evil against my soul.

Let this be the reward of my accusers from the Lord, and of those that speak evil against my soul.

21 But Thou, O GOD the Lord, deal with me for Thy name's sake; because Thy mercy is good, deliver Thou me.

But thou, O Eternal Lord, deal with me for the sake of thy name: because thy kindness is good, deliver thou me.

22 For I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me.

For poor and needy am I, and my heart is deeply wounded within me.

23 I am gone like the shadow when it lengtheneth; I am shaken off as the locust.

Like the shadow when it declineth do I hasten away: I am driven suddenly off like the locusts.

24 My knees totter through fasting; and my flesh is lean, and hath no fatness.

My knees stumble through fasting, and my flesh faileth of fatness.

25 I am become also a taunt unto them; when they see me, they shake their head.

And I am become a reproach unto them: when they see me, they shake their head.

26 Help me, O LORD my God; O save me according to Thy mercy;

Help me, O Lord my God: O save me according to thy kindness:

27 That they may know that this is Thy hand; that Thou, LORD, hast done it.

That they may know that this is thy hand: that thou, Lord, hast truly done it.

28 Let them curse, but bless Thou; when they arise, they shall be put to shame, but Thy servant shall rejoice.

Let them then curse, but do thou bless: when they arise, let them be made ashamed; but let thy servant rejoice.

29 Mine adversaries shall be clothed with confusion, and shall put on their own shame as a robe.

Let my accusers be clothed with confusion, and let them wrap themselves, as with a mantle, in their own shame.

30 I will give great thanks unto the LORD with my mouth; yea, I will praise Him among the multitude;

I will thank the Lord greatly with my mouth, and in the midst of many will I praise him.

31 Because He standeth at the right hand of the needy, to save him from them that judge his soul.

For he ever standeth at the right hand of the needy, to save him from those that judge his soul.