Psalms 109
1 For the leader. Of David, a psalm. O God whom I praise, keep not silence;
TO THE OVERSEER. A PSALM OF DAVID. O God of my praise, do not be silent,
2 for their wicked mouths they have opened against me, they speak to me with tongues that are false,
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!
3 they beset me with words of hatred, and fight without cause against me.
They have surrounded me about, And they fight me without cause.
4 My love they requite with hostility, while for them I lift up my prayer.
For my love they oppose me, and I—prayer!
5 Evil for good they reward me, and hatred for my love.
And they set against me evil for good, And hatred for my love.
6 ‘Set over him one who is godless,’ they say, ‘an opponent at his right hand.
Appoint the wicked over him, And an adversary stands at his right hand.
7 From his trial let him come forth guilty, may his prayer be counted as sin.
In his being judged, he goes forth wicked, And his prayer is for sin.
8 Grant that his days may be few, that his office be seized by another.
His days are few, another takes his oversight,
9 Grant that his children be fatherless, and that his wife be a widow.
His sons are fatherless, and his wife a widow.
10 Up and down may his children go begging, expelled from their desolate home.
And his sons wander continually, Indeed, they have begged, And have sought out of their dry places.
11 May all that he owns be seized by the creditor may strangers plunder the fruits of his toil.
An exactor lays a snare for all that he has, And strangers spoil his labor.
12 ‘May none extend to him kindness, or pity his fatherless children.
He has none to extend kindness, Nor is there one showing favor to his orphans.
13 His descendants be doomed to destruction! Blotted out be his name in one generation!
His posterity is for cutting off, Their name is blotted out in another generation.
14 May his father’s guilt be remembered, and his mother’s sin not blotted out:
The iniquity of his fathers Is remembered to YHWH, And the sin of his mother is not blotted out.
15 on record always before the Lord, and his memory root from the earth;
They are continually before YHWH, And He cuts off their memorial from earth.
16 for he gave no thought to show kindness, but pursued the poor and the needy, drove the downhearted to death.
Because that he has not remembered to do kindness, And pursues the poor man and needy, And the struck of heart—to slay,
17 ‘May the curses he loved light upon him, may the blessings he loathed be afar.
And he loves reviling, and it meets him, And he has not delighted in blessing, And it is far from him.
18 Like a garment he clothed him with curses; may they pierce to his inwards like water, and cling to his bones like oil.
And he puts on reviling as his robe, And it comes in as water into his midst, And as oil into his bones.
19 Let them be like the robe he wraps round him, like the belt he wears every day.’
It is to him as apparel—he covers himself, And he girds it on for a continual girdle.
20 Be this the reward of my adversaries, of those who speak evil against me.
This [is] the wage of my accusers from YHWH, And of those speaking evil against my soul.
21 But you, Lord my God, be true to your name, deal kindly with me; in your gracious kindness save me.
And You, O Lord YHWH, Deal with me for Your Name’s sake, Because Your kindness [is] good, deliver me.
22 For I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me.
For I [am] poor and needy, And my heart has been pierced in my midst.
23 I am gone like a lengthening shadow, I am shaken off like a locust.
I have gone as a shadow when it is stretched out, I have been driven away as a locust.
24 My knees totter from fasting, my flesh is shrivelled and spare.
My knees have been feeble from fasting, And my flesh has failed of fatness.
25 They heap insults upon me: when they see me, they shake their head.
And I have been a reproach to them, They see me, they shake their head.
26 Help me, O Lord my God, and save me in your kindness.
Help me, O YHWH my God, Save me, according to Your kindness.
27 Teach them that this is your hand, and your own doing, O Lord.
And they know that this [is] Your hand, You, O YHWH, You have done it.
28 Let them curse, if only you bless. Put my assailants to shame, and make your servant glad.
They revile, and You bless, They have risen, and are ashamed, And Your servant rejoices.
29 My opponents be clothed with dishonour, and wrapped in a robe of shame.
My accusers put on blushing, and are covered, Their shame [is] as an upper robe.
30 I give thanks to you, Lord, with loud voice, I give praise in the midst of the throng;
I thank YHWH greatly with my mouth, And I praise Him in the midst of many,
31 for he stands by the poor, at his right hand, to save them from those who condemn them.
For He stands at the right hand of the needy, To save from those judging his soul.
