Psalms 109
1 God, you are the one whom I praise, [So please] answer [my prayer],
For the chief musician. A psalm of David. God whom I praise, do not be silent,
2 because wicked people slander me and tell [MTY] lies about me.
For the wicked and deceitful attack me; they speak lies against me.
3 They are constantly saying that they hate me, and they say evil things about me for no reason.
They surround me and say hateful things, and they attack 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.
In return for my love they accuse me, but I pray for them.
5 In return for my doing good things for them and loving them, they do evil things to me and hate me.
They repay me evil for good, and they hate 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.
Appoint a wicked man over such an enemy as these people; appoint an accuser to 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, may he be found guilty; may his prayer be considered sinful.
8 [Then], cause that he will soon die and that someone else will have his job/work (OR, possessions).
May his days be few; may another take his office.
9 Cause that his children will not have a father any more and that his wife will become a widow.
May his children be fatherless, and may his wife be 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.
May his children wander about and beg, asking for handouts as they leave their ruined home.
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.
May the creditor take all he owns; may strangers plunder what he earns.
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.
May no one extend any kindness to him; may no one have pity on his fatherless children.
13 Cause that all his descendants will die and that his grandchildren will not remember who he [MTY] was.
May his children be cut off; may their name be blotted out in the next generation.
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;
May his ancestors' sins be mentioned to Yahweh; and may the sin of his mother not be forgotten.
15 think about his sins continually, and cause that his name will be completely forgotten.
May their guilt always be before Yahweh; may Yahweh cut off their memory from the earth.
16 He never was kind to anyone; he (persecuted/cause problems for) poor and needy [people] and even killed helpless [people].
May Yahweh do this because this man never bothered to show any covenant faithfulness, but instead harassed the oppressed, the needy, and the disheartened to death.
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; may it come back upon him. He hated blessing; may no blessing come to 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 clothed himself with cursing as his garment, and his curse came into his inner being like water, like 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.”
May his curses be to him like the clothes he wears to cover himself, like the belt he always wears.
20 Yahweh, I want you to punish all my enemies that way, those who say evil things about me.
May this be the reward of my accusers from Yahweh, of those who say evil things about me.
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.
Yahweh my Lord, deal kindly with me for your name's sake. Because your covenant faithfulness is good, save me.
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 oppressed and needy, and my heart is wounded 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 fading away like the shadow of the evening; I am shaken off 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 weak from fasting; I am turning to skin and 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].
I am disdained by my accusers; when they see me, they shake their heads.
26 Yahweh, my God, help me! Because you faithfully love [me], rescue me!
Help me, Yahweh my God; save me by your covenant faithfulness.
27 [When you save me], cause my enemies to know that you are the one who has done it!
May they know that this is your doing, that you, Yahweh, have done this.
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!
Though they curse me, please bless me; when they attack, may they be put to shame, but may 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]!
May my adversaries be clothed with shame; may they wear their shame like 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].
With my mouth I give great thanks to Yahweh; I will praise him in the midst of a crowd.
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 will stand at the right hand of the one who is needy, to save him from those who judge him.
