Psalms 109
1 To the Overseer. — A Psalm of David. O God of my praise, be not silent,
For the leader. Of David, a psalm. O God whom I praise, keep not silence;
2 For the mouth of wickedness, and the mouth of deceit, Against me they have opened, They have spoken with me — A tongue of falsehood, and words of hatred!
for their wicked mouths they have opened against me, they speak to me with tongues that are false,
3 They have compassed me about, And they fight me without cause.
they beset me with words of hatred, and fight without cause against me.
4 For my love they oppose me, and I — prayer!
My love they requite with hostility, while for them I lift up my prayer.
5 And they set against me evil for good, And hatred for my love.
Evil for good they reward me, and hatred for my love.
6 Appoint Thou over him the wicked, And an adversary standeth at his right hand.
‘Set over him one who is godless,’ they say, ‘an opponent at his right hand.
7 In his being judged, he goeth forth wicked, And his prayer is for sin.
From his trial let him come forth guilty, may his prayer be counted as sin.
8 His days are few, his oversight another taketh,
Grant that his days may be few, that his office be seized by another.
9 His sons are fatherless, and his wife a widow.
Grant that his children be fatherless, and that his wife be a widow.
10 And wander continually do his sons, Yea, they have begged, And have sought out of their dry places.
Up and down may his children go begging, expelled from their desolate home.
11 An exactor layeth a snare for all that he hath, And strangers spoil his labour.
May all that he owns be seized by the creditor may strangers plunder the fruits of his toil.
12 He hath none to extend kindness, Nor is there one showing favour to his orphans.
‘May none extend to him kindness, or pity his fatherless children.
13 His posterity is for cutting off, In another generation is their name blotted out.
His descendants be doomed to destruction! Blotted out be his name in one generation!
14 The iniquity of his fathers Is remembered unto Jehovah, And the sin of his mother is not blotted out.
May his father’s guilt be remembered, and his mother’s sin not blotted out:
15 They are before Jehovah continually, And He cutteth off from earth their memorial.
on record always before the Lord, and his memory root from the earth;
16 Because that he hath not remembered to do kindness, And pursueth the poor man and needy, And the smitten of heart — to slay,
for he gave no thought to show kindness, but pursued the poor and the needy, drove the downhearted to death.
17 And he loveth reviling, and it meeteth him, And he hath not delighted in blessing, And it is far from him.
‘May the curses he loved light upon him, may the blessings he loathed be afar.
18 And he putteth on reviling as his robe, And it cometh in as water into his midst, And as oil into his bones.
Like a garment he clothed him with curses; may they pierce to his inwards like water, and cling to his bones like oil.
19 It is to him as apparel — he covereth himself, And for a continual girdle he girdeth it on.
Let them be like the robe he wraps round him, like the belt he wears every day.’
20 This [is] the wage of mine accusers from Jehovah, And of those speaking evil against my soul.
Be this the reward of my adversaries, of those who speak evil against me.
21 And Thou, O Jehovah Lord, Deal with me for Thy name's sake, Because Thy kindness [is] good, deliver me.
But you, Lord my God, be true to your name, deal kindly with me; in your gracious kindness save me.
22 For I [am] poor and needy, And my heart hath been pierced in my midst.
For I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me.
23 As a shadow when it is stretched out I have gone, I have been driven away as a locust.
I am gone like a lengthening shadow, I am shaken off like a locust.
24 My knees have been feeble from fasting, And my flesh hath failed of fatness.
My knees totter from fasting, my flesh is shrivelled and spare.
25 And I — I have been a reproach to them, They see me, they shake their head.
They heap insults upon me: when they see me, they shake their head.
26 Help me, O Jehovah my God, Save me, according to Thy kindness.
Help me, O Lord my God, and save me in your kindness.
27 And they know that this [is] Thy hand, Thou, O Jehovah, Thou hast done it.
Teach them that this is your hand, and your own doing, O Lord.
28 They revile, and Thou dost bless, They have risen, and are ashamed, And Thy servant doth rejoice.
Let them curse, if only you bless. Put my assailants to shame, and make your servant glad.
29 Mine accusers put on blushing, and are covered, As an upper robe [is] their shame.
My opponents be clothed with dishonour, and wrapped in a robe of shame.
30 I thank Jehovah greatly with my mouth, And in the midst of many I praise Him,
I give thanks to you, Lord, with loud voice, I give praise in the midst of the throng;
31 For He standeth at the right hand of the needy, To save from those judging his soul.
for he stands by the poor, at his right hand, to save them from those who condemn them.
