Psalms 109
1 For the leader. Of David, a psalm. O God whom I praise, keep not silence;
Hold not thy peace, O God of my praise,
2 for their wicked mouths they have opened against me, they speak to me with tongues that are false,
for they have opened against me the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of deceit. They have spoken to me with a lying tongue.
3 they beset me with words of hatred, and fight without cause against me.
They have also encompassed me about with words of hatred, and fought against me without a cause.
4 My love they requite with hostility, while for them I lift up my prayer.
For my love they are my adversaries, but I make prayer.
5 Evil for good they reward me, and hatred for my love.
And they have rewarded me evil for good, and hatred for my love.
6 ‘Set over him one who is godless,’ they say, ‘an opponent at his right hand.
Set thou a wicked man over him, and let an adversary stand at his right hand.
7 From his trial let him come forth guilty, may his prayer be counted as sin.
When he is judged, let him come forth guilty, and let his prayer be turned into sin.
8 Grant that his days may be few, that his office be seized by another.
Let his days be few, and let another take his office.
9 Grant that his children be fatherless, and that his wife be a widow.
Let his sons be fatherless, and his wife a widow.
10 Up and down may his children go begging, expelled from their desolate home.
Let his sons be vagabonds, and beg, and let them seek out of their desolate places.
11 May all that he owns be seized by the creditor may strangers plunder the fruits of his toil.
Let a creditor exact all that he has, and let strangers make spoil of his labor.
12 ‘May none extend to him kindness, or pity his fatherless children.
Let there be none to extend kindness to him, nor let there be any to have pity on his fatherless sons.
13 His descendants be doomed to destruction! Blotted out be his name in one generation!
Let his posterity be cut off. In the generation following let their name be blotted out.
14 May his father’s guilt be remembered, and his mother’s sin not blotted out:
Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered with Jehovah, and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out.
15 on record always before the Lord, and his memory root from the earth;
Let them be before Jehovah continually, that he may cut off the memory of them from the earth,
16 for he gave no thought to show kindness, but pursued the poor and the needy, drove the downhearted to death.
because he did not remember to show kindness, but persecuted the poor and needy man, and the broken in heart, to kill.
17 ‘May the curses he loved light upon him, may the blessings he loathed be afar.
Yea, he loved cursing, and it came to him. And he did not delight in blessing, and it was far from him.
18 Like a garment he clothed him with curses; may they pierce to his inwards like water, and cling to his bones like oil.
He also clothed himself with cursing as with his garment, and it came into his inward parts like water, and like oil into his bones.
19 Let them be like the robe he wraps round him, like the belt he wears every day.’
Let it be to him as the raiment with which he covers himself, and for the belt with which he is girded continually.
20 Be this the reward of my adversaries, of those who speak evil against me.
This is the reward of my adversaries from Jehovah, and of those who speak evil against my soul.
21 But you, Lord my God, be true to your name, deal kindly with me; in your gracious kindness save me.
But deal thou with me, O Jehovah the Lord, for thy name's sake. Because thy loving kindness is good, deliver thou me,
22 For I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me.
for I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me.
23 I am gone like a lengthening shadow, I am shaken off like a locust.
I am gone like the shadow when it declines. I am tossed up and down as the locust.
24 My knees totter from fasting, my flesh is shrivelled and spare.
My knees are weak through fasting, and my flesh fails of fatness.
25 They heap insults upon me: when they see me, they shake their head.
I also have become a reproach to them. When they see me, they shake their head.
26 Help me, O Lord my God, and save me in your kindness.
Help me, O Jehovah my God. O save me according to thy loving kindness,
27 Teach them that this is your hand, and your own doing, O Lord.
that they may know that this is thy hand, that thou, Jehovah, have done it.
28 Let them curse, if only you bless. Put my assailants to shame, and make your servant glad.
Let them curse, but bless thou. When they arise, they shall be put to shame, but thy servant shall rejoice.
29 My opponents be clothed with dishonour, and wrapped in a robe of shame.
Let my adversaries be clothed with dishonor, and let them cover themselves with their own shame as with a robe.
30 I give thanks to you, Lord, with loud voice, I give praise in the midst of the throng;
I will give great thanks to Jehovah with my mouth. Yea, I will praise him among the multitude.
31 for he stands by the poor, at his right hand, to save them from those who condemn them.
For he will stand at the right hand of the needy, to save him from those who judge his soul.
