< Psalms 109 >

1 God, you are the one whom I praise, [So please] answer [my prayer],
לַמְנַצֵּחַ לְדָוִד מִזְמוֹר אֱלֹהֵי תְהִלָּתִי אַֽל־תֶּחֱרַֽשׁ׃
2 because wicked people slander me and tell [MTY] lies about me.
כִּי פִי רָשָׁע וּֽפִי־מִרְמָה עָלַי פָּתָחוּ דִּבְּרוּ אִתִּי לְשׁוֹן שָֽׁקֶר׃
3 They are constantly saying that they hate me, and they say evil things about me for no reason.
וְדִבְרֵי שִׂנְאָה סְבָבוּנִי וַיִּֽלָּחֲמוּנִי 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־אַהֲבָתִי יִשְׂטְנוּנִי וַאֲנִי תְפִלָּֽה׃
5 In return for my doing good things for them and loving them, they do evil things to me and hate me.
וַיָּשִׂימוּ עָלַי רָעָה תַּחַת טוֹבָה וְשִׂנְאָה תַּחַת 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.
הַפְקֵד עָלָיו רָשָׁע וְשָׂטָן יַעֲמֹד עַל־יְמִינֽוֹ׃
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.
בְּהִשָּׁפְטוֹ יֵצֵא רָשָׁע וּתְפִלָּתוֹ תִּהְיֶה לַֽחֲטָאָֽה׃
8 [Then], cause that he will soon die and that someone else will have his job/work (OR, possessions).
יִֽהְיֽוּ־יָמָיו מְעַטִּים פְּקֻדָּתוֹ יִקַּח אַחֵֽר׃
9 Cause that his children will not have a father any more and that his wife will become a widow.
יִֽהְיוּ־בָנָיו יְתוֹמִים וְאִשְׁתּוֹ 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.
וְנוֹעַ יָנוּעוּ בָנָיו וְשִׁאֵלוּ וְדָרְשׁוּ מֵחָרְבוֹתֵיהֶֽם׃
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.
יְנַקֵּשׁ נוֹשֶׁה לְכָל־אֲשֶׁר־לוֹ וְיָבֹזּוּ זָרִים יְגִיעֽוֹ׃
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־לוֹ מֹשֵׁךְ חָסֶד וְֽאַל־יְהִי חוֹנֵן לִיתוֹמָֽיו׃
13 Cause that all his descendants will die and that his grandchildren will not remember who he [MTY] was.
יְהִֽי־אַחֲרִיתוֹ לְהַכְרִית בְּדוֹר אַחֵר יִמַּח 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;
יִזָּכֵר ׀ עֲוֺן אֲבֹתָיו אֶל־יְהוָה וְחַטַּאת אִמּוֹ אַל־תִּמָּֽח׃
15 think about his sins continually, and cause that his name will be completely forgotten.
יִהְיוּ נֶֽגֶד־יְהוָה תָּמִיד וְיַכְרֵת מֵאֶרֶץ זִכְרָֽם׃
16 He never was kind to anyone; he (persecuted/cause problems for) poor and needy [people] and even killed helpless [people].
יַעַן אֲשֶׁר ׀ לֹא זָכַר עֲשׂוֹת חָסֶד וַיִּרְדֹּף אִישׁ־עָנִי וְאֶבְיוֹן וְנִכְאֵה לֵבָב לְמוֹתֵֽת׃
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!
וַיֶּאֱהַב קְלָלָה וַתְּבוֹאֵהוּ וְֽלֹא־חָפֵץ בִּבְרָכָה וַתִּרְחַק 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].
וַיִּלְבַּשׁ קְלָלָה כְּמַדּוֹ וַתָּבֹא כַמַּיִם בְּקִרְבּוֹ וְכַשֶּׁמֶן בְּעַצְמוֹתָֽיו׃
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־לוֹ כְּבֶגֶד יַעְטֶה וּלְמֵזַח תָּמִיד יַחְגְּרֶֽהָ׃
20 Yahweh, I want you to punish all my enemies that way, those who say evil things about me.
זֹאת פְּעֻלַּת שֹׂטְנַי מֵאֵת יְהוָה וְהַדֹּבְרִים רָע 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.
וְאַתָּה ׀ יְהוִה אֲדֹנָי עֲ‍ֽשֵׂה־אִתִּי לְמַעַן שְׁמֶךָ כִּי־טוֹב חַסְדְּךָ 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־עָנִי וְאֶבְיוֹן אָנֹכִי וְלִבִּי חָלַל 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־כִּנְטוֹתוֹ נֶהֱלָכְתִּי נִנְעַרְתִּי כָּֽאַרְבֶּֽה׃
24 My knees are weak because I have (fasted/abstained from eating food) very often, and my body has become very thin.
בִּרְכַּי כָּשְׁלוּ מִצּוֹם וּבְשָׂרִי כָּחַשׁ 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].
וַאֲנִי ׀ הָיִיתִי חֶרְפָּה לָהֶם יִרְאוּנִי יְנִיעוּן רֹאשָֽׁם׃
26 Yahweh, my God, help me! Because you faithfully love [me], rescue me!
עָזְרֵנִי יְהוָה אֱלֹהָי הוֹשִׁיעֵנִי כְחַסְדֶּֽךָ׃
27 [When you save me], cause my enemies to know that you are the one who has done it!
וְֽיֵדְעוּ כִּי־יָדְךָ זֹּאת אַתָּה יְהוָה 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־הֵמָּה וְאַתָּה תְבָרֵךְ קָמוּ ׀ וַיֵּבֹשׁוּ וְֽעַבְדְּךָ 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]!
יִלְבְּשׁוּ שׂוֹטְנַי כְּלִמָּה וְיַעֲטוּ כַמְעִיל 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].
אוֹדֶה יְהוָה מְאֹד בְּפִי וּבְתוֹךְ רַבִּים 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־יַעֲמֹד לִימִין אֶבְיוֹן לְהוֹשִׁיעַ מִשֹּׁפְטֵי נַפְשֽׁוֹ׃

< Psalms 109 >