Psalms 109
1 “To the chief musician, by David, a psalm.” O God of my praise, do not keep silence.
For the chief musician. A psalm of David. God whom I praise, do not be silent,
2 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.
For the wicked and deceitful attack me; they speak lies against me.
3 Also with words of hatred have they encompassed me, and they fight against me without a cause.
They surround me and say hateful things, and they attack me without cause.
4 In recompense for my love are they my accusers, while I have nothing but prayer.
In return for my love they accuse me, but I pray for them.
5 And they impose evil on me in recompense for good, and hatred in lieu of my love.
They repay me evil for good, and they hate my love.
6 Appoint thou a wicked man over him: and let an accuser stand 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 When he is to be judged, let him go forth guilty, and let his prayer become sin.
When he is judged, may he be found guilty; may his prayer be considered sinful.
8 Let his days be few, and let another take his office.
May his days be few; may another take his office.
9 Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow.
May his children be fatherless, and may his wife be a widow.
10 Let his children be continually moving about, and beg, and let them seek [their bread] out of their ruined places.
May his children wander about and beg, asking for handouts as they leave their ruined home.
11 Let the creditor lay snares after all that he hath, and let strangers plunder his labor.
May the creditor take all he owns; may strangers plunder what he earns.
12 Let him have none that extendeth kindness, and let there be none that is gracious to his fatherless children.
May no one extend any kindness to him; may no one have pity on his fatherless children.
13 Let his posterity be cut off: in another generation let their name be blotted out.
May his children be cut off; may their name be blotted out in the next generation.
14 Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered by the Lord, and let the sin of his mother not be blotted out.
May his ancestors' sins be mentioned to Yahweh; and may the sin of his mother not be forgotten.
15 Let them be before the Lord continually, that he may cut off from the earth their memory.
May their guilt always be before Yahweh; may Yahweh cut off their memory from the earth.
16 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.
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 As he loved cursing, so let it come over him: and as he delighted not in blessing, so let it be far from him.
He loved cursing; may it come back upon him. He hated blessing; may no blessing come to him.
18 And he clothed himself with cursing as with his garment, and it cometh like water within him, and like 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 Let it be unto him as a garment in which he wrappeth himself, and for a girdle let him be continually girded with it.
May his curses be to him like the clothes he wears to cover himself, like the belt he always wears.
20 Let this be the reward of my accusers from the Lord, and of those that speak evil against my soul.
May this be the reward of my accusers from Yahweh, of those who say evil things about me.
21 But thou, O Eternal Lord, deal with me for the sake of thy name: because thy kindness is good, deliver thou me.
Yahweh my Lord, deal kindly with me for your name's sake. Because your covenant faithfulness is good, save me.
22 For poor and needy am I, and my heart is deeply wounded within me.
For I am oppressed and needy, and my heart is wounded within me.
23 Like the shadow when it declineth do I hasten away: I am driven suddenly off like the locusts.
I am fading away like the shadow of the evening; I am shaken off like a locust.
24 My knees stumble through fasting, and my flesh faileth of fatness.
My knees are weak from fasting; I am turning to skin and bones.
25 And I am become a reproach unto them: when 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 Lord my God: O save me according to thy kindness:
Help me, Yahweh my God; save me by your covenant faithfulness.
27 That they may know that this is thy hand: that thou, Lord, hast truly done it.
May they know that this is your doing, that you, Yahweh, have done this.
28 Let them then curse, but do thou bless: when they arise, let them be made ashamed; but let thy servant rejoice.
Though they curse me, please bless me; when they attack, may they be put to shame, but may your servant rejoice.
29 Let my accusers be clothed with confusion, and let them wrap themselves, as with a mantle, in their own shame.
May my adversaries be clothed with shame; may they wear their shame like a robe.
30 I will thank the Lord greatly with my mouth, and in the midst of many will 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 ever standeth at the right hand of the needy, to save him from those that judge his soul.
For he will stand at the right hand of the one who is needy, to save him from those who judge him.
