Psalm chapter 109
English Standard Version
1To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. Be not silent, O God of my praise! 2For wicked and deceitful mouths are opened against me, speaking against me with lying tongues. 3They encircle me with words of hate, and attack me without cause. 4In return for my love they accuse me, but I give myself to prayer. 5So they reward me evil for good, and hatred for my love. 6Appoint a wicked man against him; let an accuser stand at his right hand. 7When he is tried, let him come forth guilty; let his prayer be counted as sin! 8May his days be few; may another take his office! 9May his children be fatherless and his wife a widow! 10May his children wander about and beg, seeking food far from the ruins they inhabit! 11May the creditor seize all that he has; may strangers plunder the fruits of his toil! 12Let there be none to extend kindness to him, nor any to pity his fatherless children! 13May his posterity be cut off; may his name be blotted out in the second generation! 14May the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the LORD, and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out! 15Let them be before the LORD continually, that he may cut off the memory of them from the earth! 16For he did not remember to show kindness, but pursued the poor and needy and the brokenhearted, to put them to death. 17He loved to curse; let curses come upon him! He did not delight in blessing; may it be far from him! 18He clothed himself with cursing as his coat; may it soak into his body like water, like oil into his bones! 19May it be like a garment that he wraps around him, like a belt that he puts on every day! 20May this be the reward of my accusers from the LORD, of those who speak evil against my life! 21But you, O GOD my Lord, deal on my behalf for your name’s sake; because your steadfast love is good, deliver me! 22For I am poor and needy, and my heart is stricken within me. 23I am gone like a shadow at evening; I am shaken off like a locust. 24My knees are weak through fasting; my body has become gaunt, with no fat. 25I am an object of scorn to my accusers; when they see me, they wag their heads. 26Help me, O LORD my God! Save me according to your steadfast love! 27Let them know that this is your hand; you, O LORD, have done it! 28Let them curse, but you will bless! They arise and are put to shame, but your servant will be glad! 29May my accusers be clothed with dishonor; may they be wrapped in their own shame as in a cloak! 30With my mouth I will give great thanks to the LORD; I will praise him in the midst of the throng. 31For he stands at the right hand of the needy one, to save him from those who condemn his soul to death.
New International Version
1For the director of music. Of David. A psalm. My God, whom I praise, do not remain silent, 2for people who are wicked and deceitful have opened their mouths against me; they have spoken against me with lying tongues. 3With words of hatred they surround me; they attack me without cause. 4In return for my friendship they accuse me, but I am a man of prayer.
5They repay me evil for good, and hatred for my friendship. 6Appoint someone evil to oppose my enemy; let an accuser stand at his right hand. 7When he is tried, let him be found guilty, and may his prayers condemn him. 8May his days be few; may another take his place of leadership. 9May his children be fatherless and his wife a widow. 10May his children be wandering beggars; may they be driven from their ruined homes. 11May a creditor seize all he has; may strangers plunder the fruits of his labor. 12May no one extend kindness to him or take pity on his fatherless children. 13May his descendants be cut off, their names blotted out from the next generation. 14May the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the LORD; may the sin of his mother never be blotted out.
15May their sins always remain before the LORD, that he may blot out their name from the earth. 16For he never thought of doing a kindness, but hounded to death the poor and the needy and the brokenhearted. 17He loved to pronounce a curse-- may it come back on him. He found no pleasure in blessing-- may it be far from him. 18He wore cursing as his garment; it entered into his body like water, into his bones like oil. 19May it be like a cloak wrapped about him, like a belt tied forever around him.
20May this be the LORD's payment to my accusers, to those who speak evil of me. 21But you, Sovereign LORD, help me for your name's sake; out of the goodness of your love, deliver me. 22For I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me. 23I fade away like an evening shadow; I am shaken off like a locust. 24My knees give way from fasting; my body is thin and gaunt.
25I am an object of scorn to my accusers; when they see me, they shake their heads. 26Help me, LORD my God; save me according to your unfailing love. 27Let them know that it is your hand, that you, LORD, have done it. 28While they curse, may you bless; may those who attack me be put to shame, but may your servant rejoice.
New American Standard Bible
1God of my praise, Do not be silent! 2For they have opened a wicked and deceitful mouth against me; They have spoken against me with a lying tongue. 3They have also surrounded me with words of hatred, And have fought against me without cause. 4In return for my love they act as my accusers; But I am in prayer. 5So they have repaid me evil for good, And hatred for my love. 6Appoint a wicked person over him, And may an accuser stand at his right hand. 7When he is judged, may he come out guilty, And may his prayer become sin. 8May his days be few; May another take his office. 9May his children be fatherless, And his wife a widow. 10May his children wander about and beg; And may they seek sustenance far from their ruined homes. 11May the creditor seize everything that he has, And may strangers plunder the product of his labor. 12May there be none to extend kindness to him, Nor any to be gracious to his fatherless children. 13May his descendants be eliminated; May their name be wiped out in a following generation. 14May the guilt of his fathers be remembered before the LORD, And do not let the sin of his mother be wiped out. 15May they be before the LORD continually, So that He may eliminate their memory from the earth; 16Because he did not remember to show mercy, But persecuted the afflicted and needy person, And the despondent in heart, to put them to death. 17He also loved cursing, so it came to him; And he did not delight in blessing, so it was far from him. 18But he clothed himself with cursing as with his garment, And it entered his body like water, And like oil into his bones. 19May it be to him as a garment with which he covers himself, And as a belt which he constantly wears around himself. 20May this be the reward of my accusers from the LORD, And of those who speak evil against my soul. 21But You, GOD, the Lord, deal kindly with me for the sake of Your name; Because Your mercy is good, rescue me; 22For I am afflicted and needy, And my heart is wounded within me. 23I am passing like a shadow when it lengthens; I am shaken off like the locust. 24My knees are weak from fasting, And my flesh has grown lean, without fatness. 25I also have become a disgrace to them; When they see me, they shake their head. 26Help me, LORD my God; Save me according to Your mercy. 27And may they know that this is Your hand; You, LORD, have done it. 28They will curse, but You bless; When they arise, they will be ashamed, But Your servant will be glad. 29May my accusers be clothed with dishonor, And may they cover themselves with their own shame as with a robe. 30With my mouth I will give thanks abundantly to the LORD; And I will praise Him in the midst of many. 31For He stands at the right hand of the needy, To save him from those who judge his soul.
Christian Standard Bible
1God of my praise, do not be silent. 2For wicked and deceitful mouths open against me; they speak against me with lying tongues. 3They surround me with hateful words and attack me without cause. 4In return for my love they accuse me, but I continue to pray.
5They repay me evil for good, and hatred for my love. 6Set a wicked person over him; let an accuser stand at his right hand. 7When he is judged, let him be found guilty, and let his prayer be counted as sin. 8Let his days be few; let another take over his position. 9Let his children be fatherless and his wife a widow. 10Let his children wander as beggars, searching for food far from their demolished homes. 11Let a creditor seize all he has; let strangers plunder what he has worked for. 12Let no one show him kindness, and let no one be gracious to his fatherless children. 13Let the line of his descendants be cut off; let their name be blotted out in the next generation. 14Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the Lord, and do not let his mother's sin be blotted out.
15Let their sins always remain before the Lord, and let him remove all memory of them from the earth. 16For he did not think to show kindness, but pursued the suffering, needy, and brokenhearted in order to put them to death. 17He loved cursing--let it fall on him; he took no delight in blessing--let it be far from him. 18He wore cursing like his coat -- let it enter his body like water and go into his bones like oil. 19Let it be like a robe he wraps around himself, like a belt he always wears.
20Let this be the Lord's payment to my accusers, to those who speak evil against me. 21But you, Lord, my Lord, deal kindly with me for your name's sake; because your faithful love is good, rescue me. 22For I am suffering and needy; my heart is wounded within me. 23I fade away like a lengthening shadow; I am shaken off like a locust. 24My knees are weak from fasting, and my body is emaciated.
25I have become an object of ridicule to my accusers; when they see me, they shake their heads in scorn. 26Help me, Lord my God; save me according to your faithful love 27so they may know that this is your hand and that you, Lord, have done it. 28Though they curse, you will bless. When they rise up, they will be put to shame, but your servant will rejoice. 29My accusers will be clothed with disgrace; they will wear their shame like a cloak. 30I will fervently thank the Lord with my mouth; I will praise him in the presence of many. 31For he stands at the right hand of the needy to save him from those who would condemn him.
New Living Translation
1For the choir director: A psalm of David. O God, whom I praise, don't stand silent and aloof 2while the wicked slander me and tell lies about me. 3They surround me with hateful words and fight against me for no reason. 4I love them, but they try to destroy me with accusations even as I am praying for them! 5They repay evil for good, and hatred for my love.
6They say, 'Get an evil person to turn against him. Send an accuser to bring him to trial. 7When his case comes up for judgment, let him be pronounced guilty. Count his prayers as sins. 8Let his years be few; let someone else take his position. 9May his children become fatherless, and his wife a widow. 10May his children wander as beggars and be driven from their ruined homes. 11May creditors seize his entire estate, and strangers take all he has earned. 12Let no one be kind to him; let no one pity his fatherless children. 13May all his offspring die. May his family name be blotted out in a single generation. 14May the LORD never forget the sins of his fathers; may his mother's sins never be erased from the record. 15May the LORD always remember these sins, and may his name disappear from human memory. 16For he refused all kindness to others; he persecuted the poor and needy, and he hounded the brokenhearted to death. 17He loved to curse others; now you curse him. He never blessed others; now don't you bless him. 18Cursing is as natural to him as his clothing, or the water he drinks, or the rich food he eats. 19Now may his curses return and cling to him like clothing; may they be tied around him like a belt.'
20May those curses become the LORD's punishment for my accusers who speak evil of me. 21But deal well with me, O Sovereign LORD, for the sake of your own reputation! Rescue me because you are so faithful and good. 22For I am poor and needy, and my heart is full of pain. 23I am fading like a shadow at dusk; I am brushed off like a locust. 24My knees are weak from fasting, and I am skin and bones. 25I am a joke to people everywhere; when they see me, they shake their heads in scorn.
26Help me, O LORD my God! Save me because of your unfailing love. 27Let them see that this is your doing, that you yourself have done it, LORD. 28Then let them curse me if they like, but you will bless me! When they attack me, they will be disgraced! But I, your servant, will go right on rejoicing! 29May my accusers be clothed with disgrace; may their humiliation cover them like a cloak. 30But I will give repeated thanks to the LORD, praising him to everyone. 31For he stands beside the needy, ready to save them from those who condemn them.
King James Version
1{To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.} Hold not thy peace, O God of my praise; 2For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful are opened against me: they have spoken against me with a lying tongue. 3They compassed me about also with words of hatred; and fought against me without a cause. 4For my love they are my adversaries: but I give myself unto prayer. 5And they have rewarded me evil for good, and hatred for my love.
6Set thou a wicked man over him: and let Satan stand at his right hand. 7When he shall be judged, let him be condemned: and let his prayer become sin. 8Let his days be few; and let another take his office. 9Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow. 10Let his children be continually vagabonds, and beg: let them seek their bread also out of their desolate places. 11Let the extortioner catch all that he hath; and let the strangers spoil his labour. 12Let there be none to extend mercy unto him: neither let there be any to favour his fatherless children. 13Let his posterity be cut off; and in the generation following let their name be blotted out. 14Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered with the LORD; and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out. 15Let them be before the LORD continually, that he may cut off the memory of them from the earth. 16Because that he remembered not to shew mercy, but persecuted the poor and needy man, that he might even slay the broken in heart. 17As he loved cursing, so let it come unto him: as he delighted not in blessing, so let it be far from him. 18As he clothed himself with cursing like as with his garment, so let it come into his bowels like water, and like oil into his bones. 19Let it be unto him as the garment which covereth him, and for a girdle wherewith he is girded continually. 20Let this be the reward of mine adversaries from the LORD, and of them that speak evil against my soul.
21But do thou for me, O GOD the Lord, for thy name's sake: because thy mercy is good, deliver thou me. 22For I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me. 23I am gone like the shadow when it declineth: I am tossed up and down as the locust. 24My knees are weak through fasting; and my flesh faileth of fatness. 25I became also a reproach unto them: when they looked upon me they shaked their heads. 26Help me, O LORD my God: O save me according to thy mercy: 27That they may know that this is thy hand; that thou, LORD, hast done it. 28Let them curse, but bless thou: when they arise, let them be ashamed; but let thy servant rejoice. 29Let mine adversaries be clothed with shame, and let them cover themselves with their own confusion, as with a mantle. 30I will greatly praise the LORD with my mouth; yea, I will praise him among the multitude. 31For he shall stand at the right hand of the poor, to save him from those that condemn his soul.