Psalms 109

1 TO THE OVERSEER. A PSALM OF DAVID. O God of my praise, do not be silent,

For the end, a Psalm of David. For the end, a Psalm of David. O God, pass not over my praise in silence;

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!

for the mouth of the sinner and the mouth of the crafty [man] have been opened against me: they have spoken against me with a crafty tongue.

3 They have surrounded me about, And they fight me without cause.

And they have compassed me with words of hatred; and fought against me without a cause.

4 For my love they oppose me, and I—prayer!

Instead of loving me, they falsely accused me: but I continued to pray.

5 And they set against me evil for good, And hatred for my love.

And they rewarded me evil for good, and hatred for my love.

6 Appoint the wicked over him, And an adversary stands at his right hand.

Set you a sinner against him; and let the devil stand at his right hand.

7 In his being judged, he goes forth wicked, And his prayer is for sin.

When he is judged, let him go forth condemned: and let his prayer become sin.

8 His days are few, another takes his oversight,

Let his days be few: and let another take his office of overseer.

9 His sons are fatherless, and his wife a widow.

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

10 And his sons wander continually, Indeed, they have begged, And have sought out of their dry places.

Let his children wander without a dwelling-place, and beg: let them be cast out of their habitations.

11 An exactor lays a snare for all that he has, And strangers spoil his labor.

Let [his] creditor exact all that belongs to him: and let strangers spoil his labors.

12 He has none to extend kindness, Nor is there one showing favor to his orphans.

Let him have no helper; neither let there be any one to have compassion on his fatherless children.

13 His posterity is for cutting off, Their name is blotted out in another generation.

Let his children be [given up] to utter destruction: in one generation let his name be blotted out.

14 The iniquity of his fathers Is remembered to YHWH, And the sin of his mother is not blotted out.

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

15 They are continually before YHWH, And He cuts off their memorial from earth.

Let them be before the Lord continually; and let their memorial be blotted out from the earth.

16 Because that he has not remembered to do kindness, And pursues the poor man and needy, And the struck of heart—to slay,

Because he remembered not to show mercy, but persecuted the needy and poor man, and [that] to kill him that was pricked in the heart.

17 And he loves reviling, and it meets him, And he has not delighted in blessing, And it is far from him.

He loved cursing also, and it shall come upon him; and he took not pleasure in blessing, so it shall be removed far from him.

18 And he puts on reviling as his robe, And it comes in as water into his midst, And as oil into his bones.

Yes, he put on cursing as a garment, and it is come as water into his bowels, and as oil into his bones.

19 It is to him as apparel—he covers himself, And he girds it on for a continual girdle.

Let it be to him as a garment which he puts on, and as a girdle with which he girds himself continually.

20 This [is] the wage of my accusers from YHWH, And of those speaking evil against my soul.

This is the dealing of the Lord with those who falsely accuse me, and of them that speak evil against my soul.

21 And You, O Lord YHWH, Deal with me for Your Name’s sake, Because Your kindness [is] good, deliver me.

But you, O Lord, Lord, deal [mercifully] with me, for your name's sake: for your mercy is good.

22 For I [am] poor and needy, And my heart has been pierced in my midst.

Deliver me, for I am poor and needy; and my heart is troubled within me.

23 I have gone as a shadow when it is stretched out, I have been driven away as a locust.

I am removed as a shadow in its going down: I am tossed up and down like locusts.

24 My knees have been feeble from fasting, And my flesh has failed of fatness.

My knees are weakened through fasting, and my flesh is changed by reason of [the lack of] oil.

25 And I have been a reproach to them, They see me, they shake their head.

I became also a reproach to them: [when] they saw me they shook their heads.

26 Help me, O YHWH my God, Save me, according to Your kindness.

Help me, O Lord my God; and save me according to your mercy.

27 And they know that this [is] Your hand, You, O YHWH, You have done it.

And let them know that this is your hand; and [that] you, Lord, have wrought it.

28 They revile, and You bless, They have risen, and are ashamed, And Your servant rejoices.

Let them curse, but you shall bless: let them that rise up against me be ashamed, but let your servant rejoice.

29 My accusers put on blushing, and are covered, Their shame [is] as an upper robe.

Let those that falsely accuse me be clothed with shame, and let them cover themselves with their shame as with a mantle.

30 I thank YHWH greatly with my mouth, And I praise Him in the midst of many,

I will give thanks to the Lord abundantly with my mouth; and in the midst of many I will praise him.

31 For He stands at the right hand of the needy, To save from those judging his soul.

For he stood on the right hand of the poor, to save [me] from them that persecute my soul.