Psalm 109:1-31
(Of the Director; of David’s; a psalm.)
109 God of my praise, do not be deaf,
2 For they have opened against me mouths of wrong and of treacheryand spoken with me with tongues of falsehood
3 And encircled me with words of hatredand made war on me for nothing;
4 In return for my love they are adversaries to me;but on my part prayer.
5 And they have turned upon me evil in return for goodand hatred in return for my love.
6 Give a wrong-doer authority over himand let an adversary stand at his right hand!
7 When he goes into court let him come out in the wrong,and let his prayer become sin!
8 Be his days few!let another take his station!
9 Be his sons orphansand his wife a widow,
10 And may his sons live as vagabonds and beg their breadand go out soliciting from the wasted sites they lodge in!
11 May a creditor bag everything he has,and strangers plunder the fruit of his toil!
12 May he have nobody that keeps up friendship,and his orphans nobody that shows them goodwill!
13 May his posterity come to extinction,their name be obliterated in another generation!
14 May Jehovah be reminded of his fathers’ guilt,his mother’s sin not be obliterated,
15 May they be always present to Jehovahand may he cut off their memory forever,
16 Since he did not remember to show friendshipbut hunted down a man wretched and needyand wounded to the heart, to give him his deathblow,
17 And loved a curse—so may it come upon him!and had no liking for a blessing—so may it be far from him!
18 And wore curses like his coat—so may they come into his inward parts like waterand into his bones like oil,
19 Be to him like the clothing he is wrapped inand become the girdle he is always belted with!
20 These are the earnings due from Jehovah to those who are hostile to meand to those who are talking up evil against my life.
21 But do you, Jehovah, my Lord,take action on my side for the honor of your name,deliver me because your friendship is so good,
22 Because I am wretched and needyand my heart is stabbed within me.
23 I am gone like a lengthening shadow,tumbled out like grasshoppers.
24 My knees are giving way from fastingand my flesh has grown lean without oil,
25 And I have become a butt for their taunts,they see me and shake their heads.
26 Help me, Jehovah, my God,save me as befits your friendship,
27 That they may know that this is your hand,it is you, Jehovah, that did it.
28 Let them curse while you bless;let those who stand up against me be disappointedand your servant make merry.
29 Let those who are hostile to me be clothed in humiliationand wrapped in their shame as in a robe.
30 I will speak out great thanks to Jehovahand praise him in the midst of many
31 Because he stands at a needy man’s right handto save him from those who would judge him for life or death.
