Psalms 109

1 For the chief musician. A psalm of David. God whom I praise, do not be silent,

Hold not thy peace, O God of my praise,

2 For the wicked and deceitful attack me; they speak lies against me.

for they have opened against me the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of deceit. They have spoken to me with a lying tongue.

3 They surround me and say hateful things, and they attack me without cause.

They have also encompassed me about with words of hatred, and fought against me without a cause.

4 In return for my love they accuse me, but I pray for them.

For my love they are my adversaries, but I make prayer.

5 They repay me evil for good, and they hate my love.

And they have rewarded me evil for good, and hatred for my love.

6 Appoint a wicked man over such an enemy as these people; appoint an accuser to stand at his right hand.

Set thou a wicked man over him, and let an adversary stand at his right hand.

7 When he is judged, may he be found guilty; may his prayer be considered sinful.

When he is judged, let him come forth guilty, and let his prayer be turned into sin.

8 May his days be few; may another take his office.

Let his days be few, and let another take his office.

9 May his children be fatherless, and may his wife be a widow.

Let his sons be fatherless, and his wife a widow.

10 May his children wander about and beg, asking for handouts as they leave their ruined home.

Let his sons be vagabonds, and beg, and let them seek out of their desolate places.

11 May the creditor take all he owns; may strangers plunder what he earns.

Let a creditor exact all that he has, and let strangers make spoil of his labor.

12 May no one extend any kindness to him; may no one have pity on his fatherless children.

Let there be none to extend kindness to him, nor let there be any to have pity on his fatherless sons.

13 May his children be cut off; may their name be blotted out in the next generation.

Let his posterity be cut off. In the generation following let their name be blotted out.

14 May his ancestors' sins be mentioned to Yahweh; and may the sin of his mother not be forgotten.

Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered with Jehovah, and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out.

15 May their guilt always be before Yahweh; may Yahweh cut off their memory from the earth.

Let them be before Jehovah continually, that he may cut off the memory of them from the earth,

16 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.

because he did not remember to show kindness, but persecuted the poor and needy man, and the broken in heart, to kill.

17 He loved cursing; may it come back upon him. He hated blessing; may no blessing come to him.

Yea, he loved cursing, and it came to him. And he did not delight in blessing, and it was far from him.

18 He clothed himself with cursing as his garment, and his curse came into his inner being like water, like oil into his bones.

He also clothed himself with cursing as with his garment, and it came into his inward parts like water, and like oil into his bones.

19 May his curses be to him like the clothes he wears to cover himself, like the belt he always wears.

Let it be to him as the raiment with which he covers himself, and for the belt with which he is girded continually.

20 May this be the reward of my accusers from Yahweh, of those who say evil things about me.

This is the reward of my adversaries from Jehovah, and of those who speak evil against my soul.

21 Yahweh my Lord, deal kindly with me for your name's sake. Because your covenant faithfulness is good, save me.

But deal thou with me, O Jehovah the Lord, for thy name's sake. Because thy loving kindness is good, deliver thou me,

22 For I am oppressed and needy, and my heart is wounded within me.

for I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me.

23 I am fading away like the shadow of the evening; I am shaken off like a locust.

I am gone like the shadow when it declines. I am tossed up and down as the locust.

24 My knees are weak from fasting; I am turning to skin and bones.

My knees are weak through fasting, and my flesh fails of fatness.

25 I am disdained by my accusers; when they see me, they shake their heads.

I also have become a reproach to them. When they see me, they shake their head.

26 Help me, Yahweh my God; save me by your covenant faithfulness.

Help me, O Jehovah my God. O save me according to thy loving kindness,

27 May they know that this is your doing, that you, Yahweh, have done this.

that they may know that this is thy hand, that thou, Jehovah, have done it.

28 Though they curse me, please bless me; when they attack, may they be put to shame, but may your servant rejoice.

Let them curse, but bless thou. When they arise, they shall be put to shame, but thy servant shall rejoice.

29 May my adversaries be clothed with shame; may they wear their shame like a robe.

Let my adversaries be clothed with dishonor, and let them cover themselves with their own shame as with a robe.

30 With my mouth I give great thanks to Yahweh; I will praise him in the midst of a crowd.

I will give great thanks to Jehovah with my mouth. Yea, I will praise him among the multitude.

31 For he will stand at the right hand of the one who is needy, to save him from those who judge him.

For he will stand at the right hand of the needy, to save him from those who judge his soul.