Psalms 109

1 [For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David.] God of my praise, do not remain silent,

“To the chief musician, by David, a psalm.” O God of my praise, do not keep silence.

2 for they have opened the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of deceit against me. They have spoken to me with a lying tongue.

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.

3 They have also surrounded me with words of hatred, and fought against me without a cause.

Also with words of hatred have they encompassed me, and they fight against me without a cause.

4 In return for my love, they are my adversaries; but I am in prayer.

In recompense for my love are they my accusers, while I have nothing but prayer.

5 They have rewarded me evil for good, and hatred for my love.

And they impose evil on me in recompense for good, and hatred in lieu of my love.

6 Set a wicked man over him. Let an adversary stand at his right hand.

Appoint thou a wicked man over him: and let an accuser stand at his right hand.

7 When he is judged, let him come forth guilty. Let his prayer be turned into sin.

When he is to be judged, let him go forth guilty, and let his prayer become sin.

8 Let his days be few. Let another take his office.

Let his days be few, and let another take his office.

9 Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow.

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

10 Let his children be wandering beggars. Let them be sought from their ruins.

Let his children be continually moving about, and beg, and let them seek [their bread] out of their ruined places.

11 Let the creditor seize all that he has. Let strangers plunder the fruit of his labor.

Let the creditor lay snares after all that he hath, and let strangers plunder his labor.

12 Let there be none to extend kindness to him, neither let there be any to have pity on his fatherless children.

Let him have none that extendeth kindness, and let there be none that is gracious to his fatherless children.

13 Let his posterity be cut off. In the generation following let their name be blotted out.

Let his posterity be cut off: in another generation let their name be blotted out.

14 Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered by YHWH. Do not let the sin of his mother be blotted out.

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

15 Let them be before YHWH continually, that he may cut off the memory of them from the earth;

Let them be before the Lord continually, that he may cut off from the earth their memory.

16 because he did not remember to show kindness, but persecuted the poor and needy man, the broken in heart, to kill them.

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.

17 Yes, he loved cursing, and it came to him. He did not delight in blessing, and it was far from him.

As he loved cursing, so let it come over him: and as he delighted not in blessing, so let it be far from him.

18 He clothed himself also with cursing as with his garment. It came into his inward parts like water, like oil into his bones.

And he clothed himself with cursing as with his garment, and it cometh like water within him, and like oil into his bones.

19 Let it be to him as the clothing with which he covers himself, for the belt that is always around him.

Let it be unto him as a garment in which he wrappeth himself, and for a girdle let him be continually girded with it.

20 This is the reward of my adversaries from YHWH, of those who speak evil against my soul.

Let this be the reward of my accusers from the Lord, and of those that speak evil against my soul.

21 But deal with me, YHWH the Lord, for your name's sake, because your loving kindness is good, deliver me;

But thou, O Eternal Lord, deal with me for the sake of thy name: because thy kindness is good, deliver thou me.

22 for I am poor and needy. My heart is wounded within me.

For poor and needy am I, and my heart is deeply wounded within me.

23 I fade away like an evening shadow. I am shaken off like a locust.

Like the shadow when it declineth do I hasten away: I am driven suddenly off like the locusts.

24 My knees are weak through fasting. My body is thin and lacks fat.

My knees stumble through fasting, and my flesh faileth of fatness.

25 I have also become a reproach to them. When they see me, they shake their head.

And I am become a reproach unto them: when they see me, they shake their head.

26 Help me, YHWH, my God. Save me according to your loving kindness;

Help me, O Lord my God: O save me according to thy kindness:

27 that they may know that this is your hand; that you, YHWH, have done it.

That they may know that this is thy hand: that thou, Lord, hast truly done it.

28 They may curse, but you bless. When they arise, they will be shamed, but your servant shall rejoice.

Let them then curse, but do thou bless: when they arise, let them be made ashamed; but let thy servant rejoice.

29 Let my adversaries be clothed with dishonor. Let them cover themselves with their own shame as with a robe.

Let my accusers be clothed with confusion, and let them wrap themselves, as with a mantle, in their own shame.

30 I will give great thanks to YHWH with my mouth. Yes, I will praise him among the multitude.

I will thank the Lord greatly with my mouth, and in the midst of many will I praise him.

31 For he will stand at the right hand of the needy, to save him from those who judge his soul.

For he ever standeth at the right hand of the needy, to save him from those that judge his soul.