Psalms 109
1 “To the chief musician, by David, a psalm.” O God of my praise, do not keep silence.
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 of deceit are opened against me: they have spoken with me with the tongue of falsehood.
for their wicked mouths they have opened against me, they speak to me with tongues that are false,
3 Also with words of hatred have they encompassed me, and they fight against me without a cause.
they beset me with words of hatred, and fight without cause against me.
4 In recompense for my love are they my accusers, while I have nothing but prayer.
My love they requite with hostility, while for them I lift up my prayer.
5 And they impose evil on me in recompense for good, and hatred in lieu of my love.
Evil for good they reward me, and hatred for my love.
6 Appoint thou a wicked man over him: and let an accuser stand at his right hand.
‘Set over him one who is godless,’ they say, ‘an opponent at his right hand.
7 When he is to be judged, let him go forth guilty, and let his prayer become sin.
From his trial let him come forth guilty, may his prayer be counted as sin.
8 Let his days be few, and let another take his office.
Grant that his days may be few, that his office be seized by another.
9 Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow.
Grant that his children be fatherless, and that his wife be a widow.
10 Let his children be continually moving about, and beg, and let them seek [their bread] out of their ruined places.
Up and down may his children go begging, expelled from their desolate home.
11 Let the creditor lay snares after all that he hath, and let strangers plunder his labor.
May all that he owns be seized by the creditor may strangers plunder the fruits of his toil.
12 Let him have none that extendeth kindness, and let there be none that is gracious to his fatherless children.
‘May none extend to him kindness, or pity his fatherless children.
13 Let his posterity be cut off: in another generation let their name be blotted out.
His descendants be doomed to destruction! Blotted out be his name in one generation!
14 Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered by the Lord, and let the sin of his mother not be blotted out.
May his father’s guilt be remembered, and his mother’s sin not blotted out:
15 Let them be before the Lord continually, that he may cut off from the earth their memory.
on record always before the Lord, and his memory root from the earth;
16 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.
for he gave no thought to show kindness, but pursued the poor and the needy, drove the downhearted to death.
17 As he loved cursing, so let it come over him: and as he delighted not in blessing, so let it be far from him.
‘May the curses he loved light upon him, may the blessings he loathed be afar.
18 And he clothed himself with cursing as with his garment, and it cometh like water within him, and like oil 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 unto him as a garment in which he wrappeth himself, and for a girdle let him be continually girded with it.
Let them be like the robe he wraps round him, like the belt he wears every day.’
20 Let this be the reward of my accusers from the Lord, and of those that speak evil against my soul.
Be this the reward of my adversaries, of those who speak evil against me.
21 But thou, O Eternal Lord, deal with me for the sake of thy name: because thy kindness is good, deliver thou me.
But you, Lord my God, be true to your name, deal kindly with me; in your gracious kindness save me.
22 For poor and needy am I, and my heart is deeply wounded within me.
For I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me.
23 Like the shadow when it declineth do I hasten away: I am driven suddenly off like the locusts.
I am gone like a lengthening shadow, I am shaken off like a locust.
24 My knees stumble through fasting, and my flesh faileth of fatness.
My knees totter from fasting, my flesh is shrivelled and spare.
25 And I am become a reproach unto them: when they see me, they shake their head.
They heap insults upon me: when they see me, they shake their head.
26 Help me, O Lord my God: O save me according to thy kindness:
Help me, O Lord my God, and save me in your kindness.
27 That they may know that this is thy hand: that thou, Lord, hast truly done it.
Teach them that this is your hand, and your own doing, O Lord.
28 Let them then curse, but do thou bless: when they arise, let them be made ashamed; but let thy servant rejoice.
Let them curse, if only you bless. Put my assailants to shame, and make your servant glad.
29 Let my accusers be clothed with confusion, and let them wrap themselves, as with a mantle, in their own shame.
My opponents be clothed with dishonour, and wrapped in a robe of shame.
30 I will thank the Lord greatly with my mouth, and in the midst of many will I praise him.
I give thanks to you, Lord, with loud voice, I give praise in the midst of the throng;
31 For he ever standeth at the right hand of the needy, to save him from those that judge his soul.
for he stands by the poor, at his right hand, to save them from those who condemn them.
