< Psalms 109 >
1 For the Leader. A Psalm of David. O God of my praise, keep not silence;
For the chief musician. A psalm of David. God whom I praise, do not be silent,
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 wicked and deceitful attack me; they speak lies against me.
3 They compassed me about also with words of hatred, and fought against me without a cause.
They surround me and say hateful things, and they attack me without cause.
4 In return for my love they are my adversaries; but I am all prayer.
In return for my love they accuse me, but I pray for them.
5 And they have laid upon me evil for good, and hatred for my love:
They repay me evil for good, and they hate my love.
6 'Set Thou a wicked man over him; and let an adversary stand at his right hand.
Appoint a wicked man over such an enemy as these people; appoint an accuser to 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 judged, may he be found guilty; may his prayer be considered sinful.
8 Let his days be few; let another take his charge.
May his days be few; may another take his office.
9 Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow.
May his children be fatherless, and may his wife be a widow.
10 Let his children be vagabonds, and beg; and let them seek their bread out of their desolate places.
May his children wander about and beg, asking for handouts as they leave their ruined home.
11 Let the creditor distrain all that he hath; and let strangers make spoil of his labour.
May the creditor take all he owns; may strangers plunder what he earns.
12 Let there be none to extend kindness unto him; neither let there be any to be gracious unto his fatherless children.
May no one extend any kindness to him; may no one have pity on his fatherless children.
13 Let his posterity be cut off; in the generation following let their name be blotted out.
May his children be cut off; may their name be blotted out in the next generation.
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.
May his ancestors' sins be mentioned to Yahweh; and may the sin of his mother not be forgotten.
15 Let them be before the LORD continually, that He may cut off the memory of them from the earth.
May their guilt always be before Yahweh; may Yahweh cut off their memory from the earth.
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.
May Yahweh do this because this man never bothered to show any covenant faithfulness, but instead harassed the oppressed, the needy, and the disheartened to death.
17 Yea, he loved cursing, and it came unto him; and he delighted not in blessing, and it is far from him.
He loved cursing; may it come back upon him. He hated blessing; may no blessing come to 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.
He clothed himself with cursing as his garment, and his curse came into his inner being like water, 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.'
May his curses be to him like the clothes he wears to cover himself, like the belt he always wears.
20 This would mine adversaries effect from the LORD, and they that speak evil against my soul.
May this be the reward of my accusers from Yahweh, of those who say evil things about me.
21 But Thou, O GOD the Lord, deal with me for Thy name's sake; because Thy mercy is good, deliver Thou me.
Yahweh my Lord, deal kindly with me for your name's sake. Because your covenant faithfulness is good, save me.
22 For I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me.
For I am oppressed and needy, and my heart is wounded within me.
23 I am gone like the shadow when it lengtheneth; I am shaken off as the locust.
I am fading away like the shadow of the evening; I am shaken off like a locust.
24 My knees totter through fasting; and my flesh is lean, and hath no fatness.
My knees are weak from fasting; I am turning to skin and bones.
25 I am become also a taunt unto them; when they see me, they shake their head.
I am disdained by my accusers; when they see me, they shake their heads.
26 Help me, O LORD my God; O save me according to Thy mercy;
Help me, Yahweh my God; save me by your covenant faithfulness.
27 That they may know that this is Thy hand; that Thou, LORD, hast done it.
May they know that this is your doing, that you, Yahweh, have done this.
28 Let them curse, but bless Thou; when they arise, they shall be put to shame, but Thy servant shall rejoice.
Though they curse me, please bless me; when they attack, may they be put to shame, but may your servant rejoice.
29 Mine adversaries shall be clothed with confusion, and shall put on their own shame as a robe.
May my adversaries be clothed with shame; may they wear their shame like a robe.
30 I will give great thanks unto the LORD with my mouth; yea, I will praise Him among the multitude;
With my mouth I give great thanks to Yahweh; I will praise him in the midst of a crowd.
31 Because He standeth at the right hand of the needy, to save him from them that judge his soul.
For he will stand at the right hand of the one who is needy, to save him from those who judge him.