Psalms 109
1 To the Overseer. — A Psalm of David. O God of my praise, be not silent,
For the chief musician. A psalm of David. God whom I praise, do not be silent,
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 the wicked and deceitful attack me; they speak lies against me.
3 They have compassed me about, And they fight me without cause.
They surround me and say hateful things, and they attack me without cause.
4 For my love they oppose me, and I — prayer!
In return for my love they accuse me, but I pray for them.
5 And they set against me evil for good, And hatred for my love.
They repay me evil for good, and they hate my love.
6 Appoint Thou over him the wicked, And an adversary standeth at his right hand.
Appoint a wicked man over such an enemy as these people; appoint an accuser to stand at his right hand.
7 In his being judged, he goeth forth wicked, And his prayer is for sin.
When he is judged, may he be found guilty; may his prayer be considered sinful.
8 His days are few, his oversight another taketh,
May his days be few; may another take his office.
9 His sons are fatherless, and his wife a widow.
May his children be fatherless, and may his wife be a widow.
10 And wander continually do his sons, Yea, they have begged, And have sought out of their dry places.
May his children wander about and beg, asking for handouts as they leave their ruined home.
11 An exactor layeth a snare for all that he hath, And strangers spoil his labour.
May the creditor take all he owns; may strangers plunder what he earns.
12 He hath none to extend kindness, Nor is there one showing favour to his orphans.
May no one extend any kindness to him; may no one have pity on his fatherless children.
13 His posterity is for cutting off, In another generation is their name blotted out.
May his children be cut off; may their name be blotted out in the next generation.
14 The iniquity of his fathers Is remembered unto Jehovah, And the sin of his mother is not blotted out.
May his ancestors' sins be mentioned to Yahweh; and may the sin of his mother not be forgotten.
15 They are before Jehovah continually, And He cutteth off from earth their memorial.
May their guilt always be before Yahweh; may Yahweh cut off their memory 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,
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.
17 And he loveth reviling, and it meeteth him, And he hath not delighted in blessing, And it is far from him.
He loved cursing; may it come back upon him. He hated blessing; may no blessing come to him.
18 And he putteth on reviling as his robe, And it cometh in as water into his midst, And as oil into his bones.
He clothed himself with cursing as his garment, and his curse came into his inner being like water, like oil into his bones.
19 It is to him as apparel — he covereth himself, And for a continual girdle he girdeth it on.
May his curses be to him like the clothes he wears to cover himself, like the belt he always wears.
20 This [is] the wage of mine accusers from Jehovah, And of those speaking evil against my soul.
May this be the reward of my accusers from Yahweh, of those who say evil things about me.
21 And Thou, O Jehovah Lord, Deal with me for Thy name's sake, Because Thy kindness [is] good, deliver me.
Yahweh my Lord, deal kindly with me for your name's sake. Because your covenant faithfulness is good, save me.
22 For I [am] poor and needy, And my heart hath been pierced in my midst.
For I am oppressed 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 fading away like the shadow of the evening; I am shaken off like a locust.
24 My knees have been feeble from fasting, And my flesh hath failed of fatness.
My knees are weak from fasting; I am turning to skin and bones.
25 And I — I have been a reproach to them, They see me, they shake their head.
I am disdained by my accusers; when they see me, they shake their heads.
26 Help me, O Jehovah my God, Save me, according to Thy kindness.
Help me, Yahweh my God; save me by your covenant faithfulness.
27 And they know that this [is] Thy hand, Thou, O Jehovah, Thou hast done it.
May they know that this is your doing, that you, Yahweh, have done this.
28 They revile, and Thou dost bless, They have risen, and are ashamed, And Thy servant doth rejoice.
Though they curse me, please bless me; when they attack, may they be put to shame, but may your servant rejoice.
29 Mine accusers put on blushing, and are covered, As an upper robe [is] their shame.
May my adversaries be clothed with shame; may they wear their shame like a robe.
30 I thank Jehovah greatly with my mouth, And in the midst of many I praise Him,
With my mouth I give great thanks to Yahweh; I will praise him in the midst of a crowd.
31 For He standeth at the right hand of the needy, To save from those judging his soul.
For he will stand at the right hand of the one who is needy, to save him from those who judge him.
