Psalms 109
1 God, you are the one whom I praise, [So please] answer [my prayer],
| לַ֭מְנַצֵּחַ לְדָוִ֣ד מִזְמֹ֑ור אֱלֹהֵ֥י תְ֝הִלָּתִ֗י אַֽל־תֶּחֱרַֽשׁ׃ |
2 because wicked people slander me and tell [MTY] lies about me.
| כִּ֤י פִ֪י רָשָׁ֡ע וּֽפִי־מִ֭רְמָה עָלַ֣י פָּתָ֑חוּ דִּבְּר֥וּ אִ֝תִּ֗י לְשֹׁ֣ון שָֽׁקֶר׃ |
3 They are constantly saying that they hate me, and they say evil things about me for no reason.
| וְדִבְרֵ֣י שִׂנְאָ֣ה סְבָב֑וּנִי וַיִּֽלָּחֲמ֥וּנִי חִנָּֽם׃ |
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.
| תַּֽחַת־אַהֲבָתִ֥י יִשְׂטְנ֗וּנִי וַאֲנִ֥י תְפִלָּֽה׃ |
5 In return for my doing good things for them and loving them, they do evil things to me and hate me.
| וַיָּ֘שִׂ֤ימוּ עָלַ֣י רָ֭עָה תַּ֣חַת טֹובָ֑ה וְ֝שִׂנְאָ֗ה תַּ֣חַת אַהֲבָתִֽי׃ |
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.
| הַפְקֵ֣ד עָלָ֣יו רָשָׁ֑ע וְ֝שָׂטָ֗ן יַעֲמֹ֥ד עַל־יְמִינֹֽו׃ |
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.
| בְּ֭הִשָּׁ֣פְטֹו יֵצֵ֣א רָשָׁ֑ע וּ֝תְפִלָּתֹ֗ו תִּהְיֶ֥ה לַֽחֲטָאָֽה׃ |
8 [Then], cause that he will soon die and that someone else will have his job/work (OR, possessions).
| יִֽהְיֽוּ־יָמָ֥יו מְעַטִּ֑ים פְּ֝קֻדָּתֹ֗ו יִקַּ֥ח אַחֵֽר׃ |
9 Cause that his children will not have a father any more and that his wife will become a widow.
| יִֽהְיוּ־בָנָ֥יו יְתֹומִ֑ים וְ֝אִשְׁתֹּו אַלְמָנָֽה׃ |
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.
| וְנֹ֤ועַ יָנ֣וּעוּ בָנָ֣יו וְשִׁאֵ֑לוּ וְ֝דָרְשׁ֗וּ מֵחָרְבֹותֵיהֶֽם׃ |
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.
| יְנַקֵּ֣שׁ נֹ֭ושֶׁה לְכָל־אֲשֶׁר־לֹ֑ו וְיָבֹ֖זּוּ זָרִ֣ים יְגִיעֹֽו׃ |
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.
| אַל־יְהִי־לֹ֖ו מֹשֵׁ֣ךְ חָ֑סֶד וְֽאַל־יְהִ֥י חֹ֝ונֵ֗ן לִיתֹומָֽיו׃ |
13 Cause that all his descendants will die and that his grandchildren will not remember who he [MTY] was.
| יְהִֽי־אַחֲרִיתֹ֥ו לְהַכְרִ֑ית בְּדֹ֥ור אַ֝חֵ֗ר יִמַּ֥ח שְׁמָֽם׃ |
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;
| יִזָּכֵ֤ר ׀ עֲוֹ֣ן אֲ֭בֹתָיו אֶל־יְהוָ֑ה וְחַטַּ֥את אִ֝מֹּ֗ו אַל־תִּמָּֽח׃ |
15 think about his sins continually, and cause that his name will be completely forgotten.
| יִהְי֣וּ נֶֽגֶד־יְהוָ֣ה תָּמִ֑יד וְיַכְרֵ֖ת מֵאֶ֣רֶץ זִכְרָֽם׃ |
16 He never was kind to anyone; he (persecuted/cause problems for) poor and needy [people] and even killed helpless [people].
| יַ֗עַן אֲשֶׁ֤ר ׀ לֹ֥א זָכַר֮ עֲשֹׂ֪ות חָ֥סֶד וַיִּרְדֹּ֡ף אִישׁ־עָנִ֣י וְ֭אֶבְיֹון וְנִכְאֵ֨ה לֵבָ֬ב לְמֹותֵֽת׃ |
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!
| וַיֶּאֱהַ֣ב קְ֭לָלָה וַתְּבֹואֵ֑הוּ וְֽלֹא־חָפֵ֥ץ בִּ֝בְרָכָ֗ה וַתִּרְחַ֥ק מִמֶּֽנּוּ׃ |
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].
| וַיִּלְבַּ֥שׁ קְלָלָ֗ה כְּמַ֫דֹּ֥ו וַתָּבֹ֣א כַמַּ֣יִם בְּקִרְבֹּ֑ו וְ֝כַשֶּׁ֗מֶן בְּעַצְמֹותָֽיו׃ |
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.”
| תְּהִי־לֹ֖ו כְּבֶ֣גֶד יַעְטֶ֑ה וּ֝לְמֵ֗זַח תָּמִ֥יד יַחְגְּרֶֽהָ׃ |
20 Yahweh, I want you to punish all my enemies that way, those who say evil things about me.
| זֹ֤את פְּעֻלַּ֣ת שֹׂ֭טְנַי מֵאֵ֣ת יְהוָ֑ה וְהַדֹּבְרִ֥ים רָ֝֗ע עַל־נַפְשִֽׁי׃ |
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.
| וְאַתָּ֤ה ׀ יְה֘וִ֤ה אֲדֹנָ֗י עֲֽשֵׂה־אִ֭תִּי לְמַ֣עַן שְׁמֶ֑ךָ כִּי־טֹ֥וב חַ֝סְדְּךָ֗ הַצִּילֵֽנִי׃ |
22 [I ask you to do this] because I am poor and needy and my inner being is (full of pain/very troubled/discouraged).
| כִּֽי־עָנִ֣י וְאֶבְיֹ֣ון אָנֹ֑כִי וְ֝לִבִּ֗י חָלַ֥ל בְּקִרְבִּֽי׃ |
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].
| כְּצֵל־כִּנְטֹותֹ֥ו נֶהֱלָ֑כְתִּי נִ֝נְעַ֗רְתִּי כָּֽאַרְבֶּֽה׃ |
24 My knees are weak because I have (fasted/abstained from eating food) very often, and my body has become very thin.
| בִּ֭רְכַּי כָּשְׁל֣וּ מִצֹּ֑ום וּ֝בְשָׂרִ֗י כָּחַ֥שׁ מִשָּֽׁמֶן׃ |
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].
| וַאֲנִ֤י ׀ הָיִ֣יתִי חֶרְפָּ֣ה לָהֶ֑ם יִ֝רְא֗וּנִי יְנִיע֥וּן רֹאשָֽׁם׃ |
26 Yahweh, my God, help me! Because you faithfully love [me], rescue me!
| עָ֭זְרֵנִי יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהָ֑י הֹ֭ושִׁיעֵ֣נִי כְחַסְדֶּֽךָ׃ |
27 [When you save me], cause my enemies to know that you are the one who has done it!
| וְֽ֭יֵדְעוּ כִּי־יָ֣דְךָ זֹּ֑את אַתָּ֖ה יְהוָ֣ה עֲשִׂיתָֽהּ׃ |
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!
| יְקַֽלְלוּ־הֵמָּה֮ וְאַתָּ֪ה תְבָ֫רֵ֥ךְ קָ֤מוּ ׀ וַיֵּבֹ֗שׁוּ וְֽעַבְדְּךָ֥ יִשְׂמָֽח׃ |
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]!
| יִלְבְּשׁ֣וּ שֹׂוטְנַ֣י כְּלִמָּ֑ה וְיַעֲט֖וּ כַמְעִ֣יל בָּשְׁתָּֽם׃ |
30 But I will thank Yahweh very greatly; I will praise him [when I am] among the crowd [of people who are worshiping him].
| אֹ֘ודֶ֤ה יְהוָ֣ה מְאֹ֣ד בְּפִ֑י וּבְתֹ֖וךְ רַבִּ֣ים אֲהַֽלְלֶֽנּוּ׃ |
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.
| כִּֽי־יַ֭עֲמֹד לִימִ֣ין אֶבְיֹ֑ון לְ֝הֹושִׁ֗יעַ מִשֹּׁפְטֵ֥י נַפְשֹֽׁו׃ |
