Psalms 109
1 TO THE OVERSEER. A PSALM OF DAVID. O God of my praise, do not be silent,
For the music director. A psalm of David. God, the one I praise, please don't remain silent,
2 For the mouth of wickedness, and the mouth of deceit, They have opened against me, They have spoken with me—A tongue of falsehood, and words of hatred!
because wicked and deceitful people are attacking me, telling lies about me.
3 They have surrounded me about, And they fight me without cause.
They surround me with words of hate, fighting against me for no reason.
4 For my love they oppose me, and I—prayer!
I love them, but they respond with hostility towards me, even while I'm praying for them!
5 And they set against me evil for good, And hatred for my love.
They pay me back with evil instead of good, with hatred instead of love.
6 Appoint the wicked over him, And an adversary stands at his right hand.
“Appoint someone wicked over him. Have someone stand as an accuser against him.
7 In his being judged, he goes forth wicked, And his prayer is for sin.
When he is judged and sentenced, may he be found guilty. Let his prayers be counted as sins.
8 His days are few, another takes his oversight,
May his life be short; let someone else take over his position.
9 His sons are fatherless, and his wife a widow.
May his children be left fatherless, and his wife become a widow.
10 And his sons wander continually, Indeed, they have begged, And have sought out of their dry places.
May his children be homeless, wandering beggars, driven from their ruined houses.
11 An exactor lays a snare for all that he has, And strangers spoil his labor.
May creditors seize all that he owns; may strangers take all that he worked for.
12 He has none to extend kindness, Nor is there one showing favor to his orphans.
May no one be kind to him; may no one take pity on his fatherless children.
13 His posterity is for cutting off, Their name is blotted out in another generation.
May his descendants die; may his family name be wiped out in the next generation.
14 The iniquity of his fathers Is remembered to YHWH, And the sin of his mother is not blotted out.
May the Lord be reminded of the sins of his fathers; may his mother's sins not be blotted out.
15 They are continually before YHWH, And He cuts off their memorial from earth.
May their sins be constantly before the Lord; may his name be totally forgotten by people.
16 Because that he has not remembered to do kindness, And pursues the poor man and needy, And the struck of heart—to slay,
For he didn't think to be kind to others, instead he harassed and killed the poor, the needy, the brokenhearted.
17 And he loves reviling, and it meets him, And he has not delighted in blessing, And it is far from him.
He loved to put a curse on others—let it come back on him. He had no time for blessings—so may he never receive any.
18 And he puts on reviling as his robe, And it comes in as water into his midst, And as oil into his bones.
He cursed as often as he got dressed. May his curses go into him like the water he drinks, like the olive oil he rubs on his skin that enters his bones.
19 It is to him as apparel—he covers himself, And he girds it on for a continual girdle.
May his curses stick to him like clothing, may they be pulled tight around him like a belt.”
20 This [is] the wage of my accusers from YHWH, And of those speaking evil against my soul.
May all this be the punishment of the Lord on my enemies, on those who speak evil of me.
21 And You, O Lord YHWH, Deal with me for Your Name’s sake, Because Your kindness [is] good, deliver me.
But treat me well, Lord God, because of your own reputation. Save me because you are faithful and good.
22 For I [am] poor and needy, And my heart has been pierced in my midst.
For I am poor and needy, and my heart is breaking.
23 I have gone as a shadow when it is stretched out, I have been driven away as a locust.
I am fading away like an evening shadow; I am like a locust that is shaken off.
24 My knees have been feeble from fasting, And my flesh has failed of fatness.
I am so weak from lack of food that my legs give way; my body is just skin and bones.
25 And I have been a reproach to them, They see me, they shake their head.
People ridicule me—they look at me and shake their heads!
26 Help me, O YHWH my God, Save me, according to Your kindness.
Help me, Lord my God; save me because of your trustworthy love.
27 And they know that this [is] Your hand, You, O YHWH, You have done it.
May they recognize that this is what you are doing—that you are the one who saves me.
28 They revile, and You bless, They have risen, and are ashamed, And Your servant rejoices.
When they curse me, you will bless me. When they attack me, you will defeat them. And I, your servant, will be happy.
29 My accusers put on blushing, and are covered, Their shame [is] as an upper robe.
May those who accuse me be clothed with disgrace; may they cover themselves with a cloak of shame.
30 I thank YHWH greatly with my mouth, And I praise Him in the midst of many,
But I will keep on thanking the Lord, praising him to everyone around me.
31 For He stands at the right hand of the needy, To save from those judging his soul.
For he takes a stand to defend the needy, to save them from those who condemn them.
