Psalms 109
1 For the chief musician. A psalm of David. God whom I praise, do not be silent,
“For the leader of the music. A psalm of David.” O God of my praise! be not silent!
2 For the wicked and deceitful attack me; they speak lies against me.
For the mouths of the wicked and the deceitful are opened against me; They speak against me with a lying tongue.
3 They surround me and say hateful things, and they attack me without cause.
They assault me on every side with words of hatred; 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 my adversaries: But I give myself unto prayer.
5 They repay me evil for good, and they hate my love.
They repay me evil for good, And hatred for 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, may he be condemned, And may his prayer be a crime!
8 May his days be few; may another take his office.
May his days be few, And another take his office!
9 May his children be fatherless, and may his wife be a widow.
May 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.
May his children be vagabonds and beggars, And from their ruined dwellings seek their bread!
11 May the creditor take all he owns; may strangers plunder what he earns.
May a creditor seize on all that he hath, And a stranger plunder his substance!
12 May no one extend any kindness to him; may no one have pity on his fatherless children.
May there be none to show him compassion, And none to pity his fatherless children!
13 May his children be cut off; may their name be blotted out in the next generation.
May his posterity be cut off; In the next generation may his name be blotted out!
14 May his ancestors' sins be mentioned to Yahweh; and may the sin of his mother not be forgotten.
May the iniquity of his fathers be remembered by the LORD, And may the sin of his mother never be blotted out!
15 May their guilt always be before Yahweh; may Yahweh cut off their memory from the earth.
May they be before the LORD continually; And may he cut off their memory 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 show pity, But persecuted the afflicted and the poor man, And sought the death of the broken-hearted.
17 He loved cursing; may it come back upon him. He hated blessing; may no blessing come to him.
As he loved cursing, let it come upon him; As he delighted not in blessing, 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.
May he be clothed with cursing as with a garment; May it enter like water into his bowels, 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.
May it be to him like the robe that covereth him, Like the girdle with which he is constantly girded!
20 May this be the reward of my accusers from Yahweh, of those who say evil things about me.
May this be the wages of mine adversaries from the LORD, And of them that speak evil against me!
21 Yahweh my Lord, deal kindly with me for your name's sake. Because your covenant faithfulness is good, save me.
But do thou, O LORD, my God! take part with me, For thine own name's sake! Because great is thy mercy, O 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 going like a shadow; I am driven away as the locust.
24 My knees are weak from fasting; I am turning to skin and bones.
My knees totter from fasting, And my flesh faileth of fatness.
25 I am disdained by my accusers; when they see me, they shake their heads.
I am a reproach to my enemies; They gaze at me; they shake their heads.
26 Help me, Yahweh my God; save me by your covenant faithfulness.
Help me, O LORD, my God! O save me, according to thy mercy!
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, O Lord! 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 do thou bless! When they arise, let them be put to shame; But let thy servant rejoice!
29 May my adversaries be clothed with shame; may they wear their shame like a robe.
May my enemies be clothed with ignominy; May they be covered 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 earnestly praise the LORD with my lips; In the midst of the multitude I will 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 standeth at the right hand of the poor, To save him from those who would condemn him.
