Psalm 109

1 God of my praise, don’t remain silent,
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.
3 They have also surrounded me with words of hatred,
and fought against me without a cause.
4 In return for my love, they are my adversaries;
but I am in prayer.
5 They have rewarded me evil for good,
and hatred for my love.
6 Set a wicked man over him.
Let an adversary stand at his right hand.
7 When he is judged, let him come forth guilty.
Let his prayer be turned into sin.
8 Let his days be few.
Let another take his office.
9 Let his children be fatherless,
and his wife a widow.
10 Let his children be wandering beggars.
Let them be sought from their ruins.
11 Let the creditor seize all that he has.
Let strangers plunder the fruit of his labor.
12 Let there be no one to extend kindness to him,
neither let there be anyone to have pity on his fatherless children.
13 Let his posterity be cut off.
In the generation following let their name be blotted out.
14 Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered by Yahweh.
Don’t let the sin of his mother be blotted out.
15 Let them be before Yahweh continually,
that he may cut off their memory from the earth;
16 because he didn’t remember to show kindness,
but persecuted the poor and needy man,
the broken in heart, to kill them.
17 Yes, he loved cursing, and it came to him.
He didn’t delight in blessing, and it was far from 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.
19 Let it be to him as the clothing with which he covers himself,
for the belt that is always around him.
20 This is the reward of my adversaries from Yahweh,
of those who speak evil against my soul.

21 But deal with me, Yahweh the Lord,t for your name’s sake,
because your loving kindness is good, deliver me;
22 for I am poor and needy.
My heart is wounded within me.
23 I fade away like an evening shadow.
I am shaken off like a locust.
24 My knees are weak through fasting.
My body is thin and lacks fat.
25 I have also become a reproach to them.
When they see me, they shake their head.
26 Help me, Yahweh, my God.
Save me according to your loving kindness;
27 that they may know that this is your hand;
that you, Yahweh, have done it.
28 They may curse, but you bless.
When they arise, they will be shamed,
but your servant shall rejoice.
29 Let my adversaries be clothed with dishonor.
Let them cover themselves with their own shame as with a robe.
30 I will give great thanks to Yahweh with my mouth.
Yes, I will praise him among the multitude.
31 For he will stand at the right hand of the needy,
to save him from those who judge his soul.

Psalm 109

For the music director, a psalm of David.

1 O God whom I praise, do not ignore me!

2 For they say cruel and deceptive things to me;
they lie to me.

3 They surround me and say hateful things;
they attack me for no reason.

4 They repay my love with accusations,
but I continue to pray.

5 They repay me evil for good,
and hate for love.

6 Appoint an evil man to testify against him!
May an accuser stand at his right side!

7 When he is judged, he will be found guilty!
Then his prayer will be regarded as sinful.

8 May his days be few!
May another take his job!

9 May his children be fatherless,
and his wife a widow!

10 May his children roam around begging,
asking for handouts as they leave their ruined home!

11 May the creditor seize all he owns!
May strangers loot his property!

12 May no one show him kindness!
May no one have compassion on his fatherless children!

13 May his descendants be cut off!
May the memory of them be wiped out by the time the next generation arrives!

14 May his ancestors’ sins be remembered by the Lord!
May his mother’s sin not be forgotten!

15 May the Lord be constantly aware of them,
and cut off the memory of his children from the earth!

16 For he never bothered to show kindness;
he harassed the oppressed and needy,
and killed the disheartened.

17 He loved to curse others, so those curses have come upon him.
He had no desire to bless anyone, so he has experienced no blessings.

18 He made cursing a way of life,
so curses poured into his stomach like water
and seeped into his bones like oil.

19 May a curse attach itself to him, like a garment one puts on,
or a belt one wears continually!

20 May the Lord repay my accusers in this way,
those who say evil things about me!

21 O sovereign Lord,
intervene on my behalf for the sake of your reputation!
Because your loyal love is good, deliver me!

22 For I am oppressed and needy,
and my heart beats violently within me.

23 I am fading away like a shadow at the end of the day;
I am shaken off like a locust.

24 I am so starved my knees shake;
I have turned into skin and bones.

25 I am disdained by them.
When they see me, they shake their heads.

26 Help me, O Lord my God!
Because you are faithful to me, deliver me!

27 Then they will realize this is your work,
and that you, Lord, have accomplished it.

28 They curse, but you will bless.
When they attack, they will be humiliated,
but your servant will rejoice.

29 My accusers will be covered with shame,
and draped in humiliation as if it were a robe.

30 I will thank the Lord profusely,
in the middle of a crowd I will praise him,

31 because he stands at the right hand of the needy,
to deliver him from those who threaten his life.