Psalms 109
1 For the chief musician. A psalm of David. God whom I praise, do not be silent,
“To the chief musician, by David, a psalm.” O God of my praise, do not keep silence.
2 For the wicked and deceitful attack me; they speak lies against me.
For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of deceit are opened against me: they have spoken with me with the tongue of falsehood.
3 They surround me and say hateful things, and they attack me without cause.
Also 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.
In recompense for my love are they my accusers, while I have nothing but prayer.
5 They repay me evil for good, and they hate my love.
And they impose evil on me in recompense for good, and hatred in lieu of my love.
6 Appoint a wicked man over such an enemy as these people; appoint an accuser to stand at his right hand.
Appoint thou a wicked man over him: and let an accuser stand at his right hand.
7 When he is judged, may he be found guilty; may his prayer be considered sinful.
When he is to be judged, let him go forth guilty, and let his prayer become 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 children 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 children be continually moving about, and beg, and let them seek [their bread] out of their ruined places.
11 May the creditor take all he owns; may strangers plunder what he earns.
Let the creditor lay snares after all that he hath, and let strangers plunder his labor.
12 May no one extend any kindness to him; may no one have pity on his fatherless children.
Let him have none that extendeth kindness, and let there be none that is gracious to 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 another generation 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 by the Lord, and let the sin of his mother not be blotted out.
15 May their guilt always be before Yahweh; may Yahweh cut off their memory from the earth.
Let them be before the Lord continually, that he may cut off from the earth their memory.
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.
For the reason that he remembered not to show kindness; but persecuted the poor and needy man, and the grieved in heart to put him to death.
17 He loved cursing; may it come back upon him. He hated blessing; may no blessing come to him.
As he loved cursing, so let it come over him: and as he delighted not in blessing, so 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 as with his garment, and it cometh like water within him, 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 in which he wrappeth himself, and for a girdle let him be continually girded with it.
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 my accusers from the Lord, and of those 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 thou, O Eternal Lord, deal with me for the sake of thy name: because thy kindness is good, deliver thou me.
22 For I am oppressed and needy, and my heart is wounded within me.
For poor and needy am I, and my heart is deeply wounded within me.
23 I am fading away like the shadow of the evening; I am shaken off like a locust.
Like the shadow when it declineth do I hasten away: I am driven suddenly off like the locusts.
24 My knees are weak from fasting; I am turning to skin and bones.
My knees stumble through fasting, and my flesh faileth of 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 see me, they shake their head.
26 Help me, Yahweh my God; save me by your covenant faithfulness.
Help me, O Lord my God: O save me according to thy 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, Lord, hast truly 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 then curse, but do thou bless: when they arise, let them be made ashamed; but let thy servant rejoice.
29 May my adversaries be clothed with shame; may they wear their shame like a robe.
Let my accusers be clothed with confusion, and let them wrap themselves, as with a mantle, in their own shame.
30 With my mouth I give great thanks to Yahweh; I will praise him in the midst of a crowd.
I will thank the Lord greatly with my mouth, and in the midst of many will I praise him.
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 ever standeth at the right hand of the needy, to save him from those that judge his soul.
