Psalms 109

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

To the chief Musician. Of David. A Psalm. O God of my praise, be not silent:

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

For the mouth of the wicked [man] and the mouth of deceit are opened against me: they have spoken against me with a lying tongue,

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

And with words of hatred have they encompassed me; and they fight against me without a cause.

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

For my love they are mine adversaries; but I [give myself unto] 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 a wicked [man] over him, and let [the] adversary stand at his right hand;

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

When he shall be judged, let him go out guilty, and let his prayer become sin;

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

Let his days be few, 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 [their bread] far from their desolate places;

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

Let the usurer cast the net over all that he hath, and let strangers despoil his labour;

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 unto him, neither let there be any to favour his fatherless children;

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 remembered not to shew kindness, but persecuted the afflicted and needy man, and the broken in heart, to slay him.

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

And he loved cursing; so let it come unto him. And he delighted not in blessing; and let it be 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.

And he clothed himself with cursing like his vestment; so let it come into his bowels 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 unto him as a garment with which he covereth himself, and for a girdle wherewith he is constantly girded.

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

Let this be the reward of mine adversaries from Jehovah, and of them that 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 do thou for me, Jehovah, Lord, for thy name's sake; because thy loving-kindness is good, deliver me:

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

For I am afflicted 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 a shadow when it lengtheneth; I am tossed about like the locust;

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

My knees are failing through fasting, and my flesh hath lost its fatness;

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

And I am become a reproach unto them; [when] they look upon me they shake their heads.

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

Help me, Jehovah my God; 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, hast 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 rise up, let them be ashamed, and let thy servant rejoice.

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

Let mine adversaries be clothed with confusion, and let them cover themselves with their shame as with a mantle.

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

I will greatly celebrate 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 standeth at the right hand of the needy, to save him from those that judge his soul.