Psalms 109
1 For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David. God of my praise, don’t remain silent,
God, you are the one whom I praise, [So please] answer [my prayer],
2 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.
because wicked people slander me and tell [MTY] lies about me.
3 They have also surrounded me with words of hatred, and fought against me without a cause.
They are constantly saying that they hate me, and they say evil things about me for no reason.
4 In return for my love, they are my adversaries; but I am in prayer.
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.
5 They have rewarded me evil for good, and hatred for my love.
In return for my doing good things for them and loving them, they do evil things to me and hate me.
6 Set a wicked man over him. Let an adversary stand at his right hand.
They said, “Appoint a wicked [judge] who will judge him, and bring in one of his enemies who will stand up and accuse him.
7 When he is judged, let him come out guilty. Let his prayer be turned into sin.
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.
8 Let his days be few. Let another take his office.
[Then], cause that he will soon die and that someone else will have his job/work (OR, possessions).
9 Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow.
Cause that his children will not have a father any more and that his wife will become a widow.
10 Let his children be wandering beggars. Let them be sought from their ruins.
Cause that his children will be forced to leave the ruined homes that they have been living in and wander around begging for food.
11 Let the creditor seize all that he has. Let strangers plunder the fruit of his labour.
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.
12 Let there be no one to extend kindness to him, neither let there be anyone to have pity on his fatherless children.
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.
13 Let his posterity be cut off. In the generation following let their name be blotted out.
Cause that all his descendants will die and that his grandchildren will not remember who he [MTY] was.
14 Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered by the LORD. Don’t let the sin of his mother be blotted out.
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;
15 Let them be before the LORD continually, that he may cut off their memory from the earth;
think about his sins continually, and cause that his name will be completely forgotten.
16 because he didn’t remember to show kindness, but persecuted the poor and needy man, the broken in heart, to kill them.
He never was kind to anyone; he (persecuted/cause problems for) poor and needy [people] and even killed helpless [people].
17 Yes, he loved cursing, and it came to him. He didn’t delight in blessing, and it was far from him.
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!
18 He clothed himself also with cursing as with his garment. It came into his inward parts like water, like oil into his bones.
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].
19 Let it be to him as the clothing with which he covers himself, for the belt that is always around him.
Cause that those terrible things will cling to him like his clothes and be around him like the belt that he wears every day.”
20 This is the reward of my adversaries from the LORD, of those who speak evil against my soul.
Yahweh, I want you to punish all my enemies that way, those who say evil things about me.
21 But deal with me, GOD the Lord, for your name’s sake, because your loving kindness is good, deliver me;
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.
22 for I am poor and needy. My heart is wounded within me.
[I ask you to do this] because I am poor and needy and my inner being is (full of pain/very troubled/discouraged).
23 I fade away like an evening shadow. I am shaken off like a locust.
[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].
24 My knees are weak through fasting. My body is thin and lacks fat.
My knees are weak because I have (fasted/abstained from eating food) very often, and my body has become very thin.
25 I have also become a reproach to them. When they see me, they shake their head.
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].
26 Help me, LORD, my God. Save me according to your loving kindness;
Yahweh, my God, help me! Because you faithfully love [me], rescue me!
27 that they may know that this is your hand; that you, LORD, have done it.
[When you save me], cause my enemies to know that you are the one who has done it!
28 They may curse, but you bless. When they arise, they will be shamed, but your servant shall rejoice.
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!
29 Let my adversaries be clothed with dishonour. Let them cover themselves with their own shame as with a robe.
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]!
30 I will give great thanks to the LORD with my mouth. Yes, I will praise him amongst the multitude.
But I will thank Yahweh very greatly; I will praise him [when I am] among the crowd [of people who are worshiping him].
31 For he will stand at the right hand of the needy, to save him from those who judge his soul.
[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.
