Psalms

To the Chief Musician. David’s. A Melody.

109 O God of my praise, do not be silent;

2 For the mouth of the lawless one and the mouth of the deceiver against me are open, They have spoken to me with false tongue;

3 And with words of hatred have they surrounded me, And have made war upon me without cause:

4 For my love they have been accusing me, While I was at prayer:

5 Yea they have returned unto me—Evil for good; and Hatred for my love.

6 Set in charge over him one who is lawless, And let an accuser stand at his right hand;

7 When he is judged let him go out condemned, And let his own petition become a sin;

8 Let his days become few, His overseership let another take;

9 Let his children become fatherless, And his wife a widow;

10 Let his children wander about and beg, Let them be driven out of their ruins;

11 Let the creditor take aim at all that he hath, And let strangers prey on the fruit of his toil;

12 Let him have no one to continue lovingkindness, And there be none to favour his fatherless children;

13 Let his posterity be for cutting off, In another generation let their name be wiped out;

14 Remembered be the iniquity of his fathers against Yahweh, And the sin of his mother let it not be wiped out;

15 Let them be before Yahweh continually, And let the memory of them be cut off out of the earth.

16 Because that he remembered not to shew lovingkindness But pursued the man that was oppressed and needy, That the downhearted he might slay.

17 Because he loved cursing May it have come upon him, Because he delighted not in blessing May it have kept far from him;

18 Because he clothed himself in cursing as his outer garment Therefore may it have entered like water into his inward part, And like oil into his bones;

19 Be it his as a garment he shall wrap round him, And for a girdle he shall at all times gird on:

20 This be the reward of mine accusers from Yahweh, Even of them who are speaking wrongfully against my life.

21 But thou Yahweh, Adonây, deal effectually with me for the sake of thy Name, Since good is thy lovingkindness O rescue me;

22 For oppressed and needy I am, And my heart is wounded within me.

23 As a shadow when it stretcheth out I am gone, I am shaken off like the locust;

24 My knees tremble from fasting, And my flesh faileth of fatness:

25 So I am become a reproach for them, They see me, they shake their head.

26 Help me! O Yahweh my God, Save me according to thy lovingkindness:

27 That they may know that Thine own hand this is, Thou Yahweh hast done it.

28 They may curse if thou wilt bless,—Mine assailants shall be ashamed But thy servant shall rejoice;

29 Mine accusers shall be clothed with confusion, And shall wrap about them like a cloak their own shame.

30 I will thank Yahweh loudly with my mouth, Yea in the midst of multitudes will I praise him;

31 Because he standeth at the right hand of the needy, To save from them who would pass sentence on his life.