< Psalms 109 >

1 God, you are the one whom I praise, [So please] answer [my prayer],
For the end, a Psalm of David. For the end, a Psalm of David. O God, pass not over my praise in silence;
2 because wicked people slander me and tell [MTY] lies about me.
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 are constantly saying that they hate me, and they say evil things about me for no reason.
And they have compassed me with words of hatred; and fought against me without a 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.
Instead of loving me, they falsely accused me: but I continued to pray.
5 In return for my doing good things for them and loving them, they do evil things to me and hate me.
And they rewarded me evil for good, and hatred 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.
Set you a sinner against him; and let the devil stand at his right hand.
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 him go forth condemned: and let 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 days be few: and let another take his office of overseer.
9 Cause that his children will not have a father any more and that his wife will become a widow.
Let his children be orphans, and his wife 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 wander without a dwelling-place, and beg: let them be cast out of their habitations.
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 exact all that belongs to him: and let strangers spoil his labors.
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 him have no helper; neither let there be any one to have compassion on his fatherless children.
13 Cause that all his descendants will die and that his grandchildren will not remember who he [MTY] was.
Let his children be [given up] to utter destruction: in one generation let his name be blotted out.
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 iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the Lord; and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out.
15 think about his sins continually, and cause that his name will be completely forgotten.
Let them be before the Lord continually; and let their memorial be blotted out 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 remembered not to show mercy, but persecuted the needy and poor man, and [that] to kill him that was pricked in the heart.
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!
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 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].
Yes, he put on cursing as a garment, and it is come as water into his bowels, and as oil into his bones.
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 garment which he puts on, and as a girdle with which he girds himself continually.
20 Yahweh, I want you to punish all my enemies that way, those who say evil things about me.
This is the dealing of the Lord with those who falsely accuse me, and of them that speak evil against 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 you, O Lord, Lord, deal [mercifully] with me, for your name's sake: for 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).
Deliver me, for I am poor and needy; and my heart is troubled within 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 removed as a shadow in its going down: I am tossed up and down like locusts.
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 weakened through fasting, and my flesh is changed by reason of [the lack of] oil.
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].
I became also a reproach to them: [when] they saw me they shook their heads.
26 Yahweh, my God, help me! Because you faithfully love [me], rescue me!
Help me, O Lord my God; and save me according to your mercy.
27 [When you save me], cause my enemies to know that you are the one who has done it!
And let them know that this is your hand; and [that] you, Lord, have wrought 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!
Let them curse, but you shall bless: let them that rise up against me be ashamed, but let your servant rejoice.
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 those that falsely accuse me be clothed with shame, and let them cover themselves with their shame as with a mantle.
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 thanks to the Lord abundantly with my mouth; and in the midst of many I will praise him.
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 stood on the right hand of the poor, to save [me] from them that persecute my soul.

< Psalms 109 >