Psalms 109

1 God, you are the one whom I praise, [So please] answer [my prayer],

[For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David.] God of my praise, do not remain silent,

2 because wicked people slander me and tell [MTY] lies about me.

for they have opened the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of deceit against me. They have spoken to me with a lying tongue.

3 They are constantly saying that they hate me, and they say evil things about me for no reason.

They have also surrounded me with words of hatred, and fought against me without a cause.

4 I show them that I want to be their friends and I pray for them, but [instead of being kind to me], they say that I have done evil things.

In return for my love, they are my adversaries; but I am in prayer.

5 In return for my doing good things for them and loving them, they do evil things to me and hate me.

They have rewarded me evil for good, and hatred for my love.

6 They said, “Appoint a wicked [judge] who will judge him, and bring in one of his enemies who will stand up and accuse him.

Set a wicked man over him. Let an adversary stand at his right hand.

7 And cause that when the trial [ends], [the judge will] declare that he is guilty, and that [even] his prayer will be considered to be a sin.

When he is judged, let him come forth guilty. Let his prayer be turned into sin.

8 [Then], cause that he will soon die and that someone else will have his job/work (OR, possessions).

Let his days be few. Let another take his office.

9 Cause that his children will not have a father any more and that his wife will become a widow.

Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow.

10 Cause that his children will be forced to leave the ruined homes that they have been living in and wander around begging for food.

Let his children be wandering beggars. Let them be sought from their ruins.

11 Cause that all the people to whom he owed money will seize all his property; Cause that strangers will take away everything that he worked to acquire.

Let the creditor seize all that he has. Let strangers plunder the fruit of his labor.

12 Cause that [while he is still living] no one will be kind to him, and [after he dies], cause that no one will pity his children.

Let there be none to extend kindness to him, neither let there be any to have pity on his fatherless children.

13 Cause that all his descendants will die and that his grandchildren will not remember who he [MTY] was.

Let his posterity be cut off. In the generation following let their name be blotted out.

14 Yahweh, remember [and do not forgive] his ancestors for the evil things that they did, and do not [even] forgive the sins that his mother committed;

Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered by the LORD. Do not let the sin of his mother be blotted out.

15 think about his sins continually, and cause that his name will be completely forgotten.

Let them be before the LORD continually, that he may cut off the memory of them from the earth;

16 He never was kind to anyone; he (persecuted/cause problems for) poor and needy [people] and even killed helpless [people].

because he did not remember to show kindness, but persecuted the poor and needy man, the broken in heart, to kill them.

17 He liked to curse [people]. [So] cause those terrible things that he requested to happen to others to happen to him! He did not want to bless [others], [so] cause that no one will bless him!

Yes, he loved cursing, and it came to him. He did not delight in blessing, and it was far from him.

18 He cursed other people [as often/easily] as he put on his clothes [SIM]; cause that the terrible things that he wanted to happen to others will [happen to him and] enter his body like water [that he drinks] [SIM], like [olive] oil soaks into a person’s bones [when it is rubbed on his skin] [SIM].

He clothed himself also with cursing as with his garment. It came into his inward parts like water, like oil into his bones.

19 Cause that those terrible things will cling to him like his clothes and be around him like the belt that he wears every day.”

Let it be to him as the clothing with which he covers himself, for the belt that is always around him.

20 Yahweh, I want you to punish all my enemies that way, those who say evil things about me.

This is the reward of my adversaries from the LORD, of those who speak evil against my soul.

21 But Yahweh, my God, do good things for me in order that I may honor you; rescue me [from my enemies] because your faithfully loving me is good.

But deal with me, the LORD the Lord, for your name's sake, because your loving kindness is good, deliver me;

22 [I ask you to do this] because I am poor and needy and my inner being is (full of pain/very troubled/discouraged).

for I am poor and needy. My heart is wounded within me.

23 [I think that] my time [to remain alive] is short, like an evening shadow [that will soon disappear] [SIM]. I will be blown away like a locust/grasshopper is blown [by the wind].

I fade away like an evening shadow. I am shaken off like a locust.

24 My knees are weak because I have (fasted/abstained from eating food) very often, and my body has become very thin.

My knees are weak through fasting. My body is thin and lacks fat.

25 The people who accuse me make fun of me; when they see me, they [insult me by] shaking their heads [at me as though I were an evil man].

I have also become a reproach to them. When they see me, they shake their head.

26 Yahweh, my God, help me! Because you faithfully love [me], rescue me!

Help me, LORD, my God. Save me according to your loving kindness;

27 [When you save me], cause my enemies to know that you are the one who has done it!

that they may know that this is your hand; that you, LORD, have done it.

28 They may curse me, but I ask that you bless me. Cause those who (persecute/cause problems for) me [to be defeated and as a result] to be disgraced/ashamed, and cause me to be glad/happy!

They may curse, but you bless. When they arise, they will be shamed, but your servant shall rejoice.

29 Cause those who accuse me to be completely disgraced; cause [other people to see] that they are disgraced, as [easily as they see] the clothes that they wear [SIM]!

Let my adversaries be clothed with dishonor. Let them cover themselves with their own shame as with a robe.

30 But I will thank Yahweh very greatly; I will praise him [when I am] among the crowd [of people who are worshiping him].

I will give great thanks to the LORD with my mouth. Yes, I will praise him among the multitude.

31 [I will do that] because he defends [MTY] needy [people like me], and saves us from those who have decided/declared that we must be executed.

For he will stand at the right hand of the needy, to save him from those who judge his soul.