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109 To the Overseer. -- A Psalm of David. O God of my praise, be not silent,

For the mouth of wickedness, and the mouth of deceit, Against me they have opened, They have spoken with me -- A tongue of falsehood, and words of hatred!

They have compassed me about, And they fight me without cause.

For my love they oppose me, and I -- prayer!

And they set against me evil for good, And hatred for my love.

Appoint Thou over him the wicked, And an adversary standeth at his right hand.

In his being judged, he goeth forth wicked, And his prayer is for sin.

His days are few, his oversight another taketh,

His sons are fatherless, and his wife a widow.

10 And wander continually do his sons, Yea, they have begged, And have sought out of their dry places.

11 An exactor layeth a snare for all that he hath, And strangers spoil his labour.

12 He hath none to extend kindness, Nor is there one showing favour to his orphans.

13 His posterity is for cutting off, In another generation is their name blotted out.

14 The iniquity of his fathers Is remembered unto Jehovah, And the sin of his mother is not blotted out.

15 They are before Jehovah continually, And He cutteth off from earth their memorial.

16 Because that he hath not remembered to do kindness, And pursueth the poor man and needy, And the smitten of heart -- to slay,

17 And he loveth reviling, and it meeteth him, And he hath not delighted in blessing, And it is far from him.

18 And he putteth on reviling as his robe, And it cometh in as water into his midst, And as oil into his bones.

19 It is to him as apparel -- he covereth himself, And for a continual girdle he girdeth it on.

20 This [is] the wage of mine accusers from Jehovah, And of those speaking evil against my soul.

21 And Thou, O Jehovah Lord, Deal with me for Thy name's sake, Because Thy kindness [is] good, deliver me.

22 For I [am] poor and needy, And my heart hath been pierced in my midst.

23 As a shadow when it is stretched out I have gone, I have been driven away as a locust.

24 My knees have been feeble from fasting, And my flesh hath failed of fatness.

25 And I -- I have been a reproach to them, They see me, they shake their head.

26 Help me, O Jehovah my God, Save me, according to Thy kindness.

27 And they know that this [is] Thy hand, Thou, O Jehovah, Thou hast done it.

28 They revile, and Thou dost bless, They have risen, and are ashamed, And Thy servant doth rejoice.

29 Mine accusers put on blushing, and are covered, As an upper robe [is] their shame.

30 I thank Jehovah greatly with my mouth, And in the midst of many I praise Him,

31 For He standeth at the right hand of the needy, To save from those judging his soul.

Psalm 109

For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.

My God, whom I praise,(A)
    do not remain silent,(B)
for people who are wicked and deceitful(C)
    have opened their mouths against me;
    they have spoken against me with lying tongues.(D)
With words of hatred(E) they surround me;
    they attack me without cause.(F)
In return for my friendship they accuse me,
    but I am a man of prayer.(G)
They repay me evil for good,(H)
    and hatred for my friendship.

Appoint someone evil to oppose my enemy;
    let an accuser(I) stand at his right hand.
When he is tried, let him be found guilty,(J)
    and may his prayers condemn(K) him.
May his days be few;(L)
    may another take his place(M) of leadership.
May his children be fatherless
    and his wife a widow.(N)
10 May his children be wandering beggars;(O)
    may they be driven[a] from their ruined homes.
11 May a creditor(P) seize all he has;
    may strangers plunder(Q) the fruits of his labor.(R)
12 May no one extend kindness to him
    or take pity(S) on his fatherless children.
13 May his descendants be cut off,(T)
    their names blotted out(U) from the next generation.
14 May the iniquity of his fathers(V) be remembered before the Lord;
    may the sin of his mother never be blotted out.
15 May their sins always remain before(W) the Lord,
    that he may blot out their name(X) from the earth.

16 For he never thought of doing a kindness,
    but hounded to death the poor
    and the needy(Y) and the brokenhearted.(Z)
17 He loved to pronounce a curse—
    may it come back on him.(AA)
He found no pleasure in blessing—
    may it be far from him.
18 He wore cursing(AB) as his garment;
    it entered into his body like water,(AC)
    into his bones like oil.
19 May it be like a cloak wrapped(AD) about him,
    like a belt tied forever around him.
20 May this be the Lord’s payment(AE) to my accusers,
    to those who speak evil(AF) of me.

21 But you, Sovereign Lord,
    help me for your name’s sake;(AG)
    out of the goodness of your love,(AH) deliver me.(AI)
22 For I am poor and needy,
    and my heart is wounded within me.
23 I fade away like an evening shadow;(AJ)
    I am shaken off like a locust.
24 My knees give(AK) way from fasting;(AL)
    my body is thin and gaunt.(AM)
25 I am an object of scorn(AN) to my accusers;
    when they see me, they shake their heads.(AO)

26 Help me,(AP) Lord my God;
    save me according to your unfailing love.
27 Let them know(AQ) that it is your hand,
    that you, Lord, have done it.
28 While they curse,(AR) may you bless;
    may those who attack me be put to shame,
    but may your servant rejoice.(AS)
29 May my accusers be clothed with disgrace
    and wrapped in shame(AT) as in a cloak.

30 With my mouth I will greatly extol the Lord;
    in the great throng(AU) of worshipers I will praise him.
31 For he stands at the right hand(AV) of the needy,
    to save their lives from those who would condemn them.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 109:10 Septuagint; Hebrew sought