Psalms 109

1 To the chief Musician. Of David. A Psalm. O God of my praise, be not silent:

To the chief music-maker. Of David. A Psalm. God of my praise, let my prayer be answered;

2 For the mouth of the wicked [man] and the mouth of deceit are opened against me: they have spoken against me with a lying tongue,

For the mouth of the sinner is open against me in deceit: his tongue has said false things against me.

3 And with words of hatred have they encompassed me; and they fight against me without a cause.

Words of hate are round about me; they have made war against me without cause.

4 For my love they are mine adversaries; but I [give myself unto] prayer.

For my love they give me back hate; but I have given myself to prayer.

5 And they have rewarded me evil for good, and hatred for my love.

They have put on me evil for good; hate in exchange for my love.

6 Set a wicked [man] over him, and let [the] adversary stand at his right hand;

Put an evil man over him; and let one be placed at his right hand to say evil of him.

7 When he shall be judged, let him go out guilty, and let his prayer become sin;

When he is judged, let the decision go against him; and may his prayer become sin.

8 Let his days be few, let another take his office;

Let his life be short; let another take his position of authority.

9 Let his sons be fatherless, and his wife a widow;

Let his children have no father, and his wife be made a widow.

10 Let his sons be vagabonds and beg, and let them seek [their bread] far from their desolate places;

Let his children be wanderers, looking to others for their food; let them be sent away from the company of their friends.

11 Let the usurer cast the net over all that he hath, and let strangers despoil his labour;

Let his creditor take all his goods; and let others have the profit of his work.

12 Let there be none to extend kindness unto him, neither let there be any to favour his fatherless children;

Let no man have pity on him, or give help to his children when he is dead.

13 Let his posterity be cut off; in the generation following let their name be blotted out:

Let his seed be cut off; in the coming generation let their name go out of memory.

14 Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered with Jehovah, and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out;

Let the Lord keep in mind the wrongdoing of his fathers; and may the sin of his mother have no forgiveness.

15 Let them be before Jehovah continually, that he may cut off the memory of them from the earth:

Let them be ever before the eyes of the Lord, so that the memory of them may be cut off from the earth.

16 Because he remembered not to shew kindness, but persecuted the afflicted and needy man, and the broken in heart, to slay him.

Because he had no mercy, but was cruel to the low and the poor, designing the death of the broken-hearted.

17 And he loved cursing; so let it come unto him. And he delighted not in blessing; and let it be far from him.

As he took pleasure in cursing, so let it come on him; and as he had no delight in blessing, let it be far from him.

18 And he clothed himself with cursing like his vestment; so let it come into his bowels like water, and like oil into his bones;

He put on cursing like a robe, and it has come into his body like water, and into his bones like oil.

19 Let it be unto him as a garment with which he covereth himself, and for a girdle wherewith he is constantly girded.

Let it be to him as a robe which he puts on, let it be like a band which is round him at all times.

20 Let this be the reward of mine adversaries from Jehovah, and of them that speak evil against my soul.

Let this be the reward given to my haters from the Lord, and to those who say evil of my soul.

21 But do thou for me, Jehovah, Lord, for thy name's sake; because thy loving-kindness is good, deliver me:

But, O Lord God, give me your help, because of your name; take me out of danger, because your mercy is good.

22 For I am afflicted and needy, and my heart is wounded within me.

For I am poor and in need, and my heart is wounded in me.

23 I am gone like a shadow when it lengtheneth; I am tossed about like the locust;

I am gone like the shade when it is stretched out: I am forced out of my place like a locust.

24 My knees are failing through fasting, and my flesh hath lost its fatness;

My knees are feeble for need of food; there is no fat on my bones.

25 And I am become a reproach unto them; [when] they look upon me they shake their heads.

As for me, they make sport of me; shaking their heads when they see me.

26 Help me, Jehovah my God; save me according to thy loving-kindness:

Give me help, O Lord my God; in your mercy be my saviour;

27 That they may know that this is thy hand; that thou, Jehovah, hast done it.

So that they may see that it is the work of your hand; that you, Lord, have done it.

28 Let them curse, but bless thou; when they rise up, let them be ashamed, and let thy servant rejoice.

They may give curses but you give blessing; when they come up against me, put them to shame; but let your servant be glad.

29 Let mine adversaries be clothed with confusion, and let them cover themselves with their shame as with a mantle.

Let my haters be clothed with shame, covering themselves with shame as with a robe.

30 I will greatly celebrate Jehovah with my mouth; yea, I will praise him among the multitude.

I will give the Lord great praise with my mouth; yes, I will give praise to him among all the people.

31 For he standeth at the right hand of the needy, to save him from those that judge his soul.

For he is ever at the right hand of the poor, to take him out of the hands of those who go after his soul.