Psalms 109
1 God, you are the one whom I praise, [So please] answer [my prayer],
To the chief music-maker. Of David. A Psalm. God of my praise, let my prayer be answered;
2 because wicked people slander me and tell [MTY] lies about me.
For the mouth of the sinner is open against me in deceit: his tongue has said false things against me.
3 They are constantly saying that they hate me, and they say evil things about me for no reason.
Words of hate are round about me; they have made war against me without cause.
4 I show them that I want to be their friends and I pray for them, but [instead of being kind to me], they say that I have done evil things.
For my love they give me back hate; but I have given myself to prayer.
5 In return for my doing good things for them and loving them, they do evil things to me and hate me.
They have put on me evil for good; hate in exchange for my love.
6 They said, “Appoint a wicked [judge] who will judge him, and bring in one of his enemies who will stand up and accuse him.
Put an evil man over him; and let one be placed at his right hand to say evil of him.
7 And cause that when the trial [ends], [the judge will] declare that he is guilty, and that [even] his prayer will be considered to be a sin.
When he is judged, let the decision go against him; and may his prayer become sin.
8 [Then], cause that he will soon die and that someone else will have his job/work (OR, possessions).
Let his life be short; let another take his position of authority.
9 Cause that his children will not have a father any more and that his wife will become a widow.
Let his children have no father, and his wife be made a widow.
10 Cause that his children will be forced to leave the ruined homes that they have been living in and wander around begging for food.
Let his children be wanderers, looking to others for their food; let them be sent away from the company of their friends.
11 Cause that all the people to whom he owed money will seize all his property; Cause that strangers will take away everything that he worked to acquire.
Let his creditor take all his goods; and let others have the profit of his work.
12 Cause that [while he is still living] no one will be kind to him, and [after he dies], cause that no one will pity his children.
Let no man have pity on him, or give help to his children when he is dead.
13 Cause that all his descendants will die and that his grandchildren will not remember who he [MTY] was.
Let his seed be cut off; in the coming generation let their name go out of memory.
14 Yahweh, remember [and do not forgive] his ancestors for the evil things that they did, and do not [even] forgive the sins that his mother committed;
Let the Lord keep in mind the wrongdoing of his fathers; and may the sin of his mother have no forgiveness.
15 think about his sins continually, and cause that his name will be completely forgotten.
Let them be ever before the eyes of the Lord, so that the memory of them may be cut off from the earth.
16 He never was kind to anyone; he (persecuted/cause problems for) poor and needy [people] and even killed helpless [people].
Because he had no mercy, but was cruel to the low and the poor, designing the death of the broken-hearted.
17 He liked to curse [people]. [So] cause those terrible things that he requested to happen to others to happen to him! He did not want to bless [others], [so] cause that no one will bless him!
As he took pleasure in cursing, so let it come on him; and as he had no delight in blessing, let it be far from him.
18 He cursed other people [as often/easily] as he put on his clothes [SIM]; cause that the terrible things that he wanted to happen to others will [happen to him and] enter his body like water [that he drinks] [SIM], like [olive] oil soaks into a person’s bones [when it is rubbed on his skin] [SIM].
He put on cursing like a robe, and it has come into his body like water, and into his bones like oil.
19 Cause that those terrible things will cling to him like his clothes and be around him like the belt that he wears every day.”
Let it be to him as a robe which he puts on, let it be like a band which is round him at all times.
20 Yahweh, I want you to punish all my enemies that way, those who say evil things about me.
Let this be the reward given to my haters from the Lord, and to those who say evil of my soul.
21 But Yahweh, my God, do good things for me in order that I may honor you; rescue me [from my enemies] because your faithfully loving me is good.
But, O Lord God, give me your help, because of your name; take me out of danger, because your mercy is good.
22 [I ask you to do this] because I am poor and needy and my inner being is (full of pain/very troubled/discouraged).
For I am poor and in need, and my heart is wounded in me.
23 [I think that] my time [to remain alive] is short, like an evening shadow [that will soon disappear] [SIM]. I will be blown away like a locust/grasshopper is blown [by the wind].
I am gone like the shade when it is stretched out: I am forced out of my place like a locust.
24 My knees are weak because I have (fasted/abstained from eating food) very often, and my body has become very thin.
My knees are feeble for need of food; there is no fat on my bones.
25 The people who accuse me make fun of me; when they see me, they [insult me by] shaking their heads [at me as though I were an evil man].
As for me, they make sport of me; shaking their heads when they see me.
26 Yahweh, my God, help me! Because you faithfully love [me], rescue me!
Give me help, O Lord my God; in your mercy be my saviour;
27 [When you save me], cause my enemies to know that you are the one who has done it!
So that they may see that it is the work of your hand; that you, Lord, have done it.
28 They may curse me, but I ask that you bless me. Cause those who (persecute/cause problems for) me [to be defeated and as a result] to be disgraced/ashamed, and cause me to be glad/happy!
They may give curses but you give blessing; when they come up against me, put them to shame; but let your servant be glad.
29 Cause those who accuse me to be completely disgraced; cause [other people to see] that they are disgraced, as [easily as they see] the clothes that they wear [SIM]!
Let my haters be clothed with shame, covering themselves with shame as with a robe.
30 But I will thank Yahweh very greatly; I will praise him [when I am] among the crowd [of people who are worshiping him].
I will give the Lord great praise with my mouth; yes, I will give praise to him among all the people.
31 [I will do that] because he defends [MTY] needy [people like me], and saves us from those who have decided/declared that we must be executed.
For he is ever at the right hand of the poor, to take him out of the hands of those who go after his soul.
