Psalms 109
1 Hold not your peace, O God of my praise;
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 the deceitful are opened against me: they have spoken against 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 For my love they are my adversaries: but I give myself unto prayer.
In return for my love they accuse me, but I pray for them.
5 And they have rewarded me evil for good, and hatred for my love.
They repay me evil for good, and they hate my love.
6 Set you a wicked man over him: and let Satan 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 shall be judged, let him be condemned: and let his prayer become sin.
When he is judged, may he be found guilty; may his prayer be considered sinful.
8 Let his days be few; and let another take his office.
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 continually vagabonds, and beg: let them seek their bread also out of their desolate places.
May his children wander about and beg, asking for handouts as they leave their ruined home.
11 Let the extortionist catch all that he has; and let the strangers spoil his labour.
May the creditor take all he owns; may strangers plunder what he earns.
12 Let there be none to extend mercy unto him: neither let there be any to favour 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; and 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 remembered with 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 show mercy, but persecuted the poor and needy man, that he might even slay the broken in heart.
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 As he loved cursing, so let it come unto him: as he delighted not in blessing, so let it be far from him.
He loved cursing; may it come back upon him. He hated blessing; may no blessing come to him.
18 As he clothed himself with cursing like with his garment, so let it come into his bowels 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 covers him, and for a 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 Let this be the reward of mine adversaries from the LORD, and of them 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 do you for me, O GOD the Lord, for your name's sake: because your mercy is good, deliver you 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 declines: I am tossed up and down as the locust.
I am fading away like the shadow of the evening; I am shaken off like a locust.
24 My knees are weak through fasting; and my flesh fails of fatness.
My knees are weak from fasting; I am turning to skin and bones.
25 I became also a reproach unto them: when they looked upon me they shook their heads.
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 your mercy:
Help me, Yahweh my God; save me by your covenant faithfulness.
27 That they may know that this is your hand; that you, LORD, have done it.
May they know that this is your doing, that you, Yahweh, have done this.
28 Let them curse, but bless you: when they arise, let them be ashamed; but let your servant rejoice.
Though they curse me, please bless me; when they attack, may they be put to shame, but may your servant rejoice.
29 Let mine adversaries be clothed with shame, and let them cover themselves with their own confusion, as with a mantle.
May my adversaries be clothed with shame; may they wear their shame like a robe.
30 I will greatly praise 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 For he shall stand at the right hand of the poor, to save him from those that condemn his soul.
For he will stand at the right hand of the one who is needy, to save him from those who judge him.
