Psalms
Chapter 109
1 God of my praise, do not stay silent.
2 Wicked and deceitful people have opened their mouths against me; they have lied about me.
3 They surrounded me with hateful words and attacked me for no reason.
4 Even though I show love, they are my enemies; but I still pray.
5 They have paid me back bad for good, and hate for my love.
6 Put an evil person in charge of him, and let Satan be by his side.
7 When he is judged, let him be found guilty, and may his prayer be counted as sin.
8 May his time be short; may someone else replace him in his job.
9 May his children have no father, and his wife be a widow.
10 May his children wander and beg, always seeking food from ruined places.
11 Let the thief take everything he owns; and let outsiders take what he has worked for.
12 Let no one show him kindness, and no one care for his orphaned children.
13 Let his descendants disappear; and let their name be erased in the next generation.
14 Let God remember his fathers’ wrongs and not erase his mother’s sins.
15 Keep them always before God, so that he may erase the memory of them from the earth.
16 Because he did not remember to show mercy but chased after the poor and needy, intending to kill those whose hearts were crushed.
17 Since he liked to curse, let curses come to him; since he did not enjoy blessing, let it be far from him.
18 He wore curses like clothes, so let them soak into him like water and like oil into his bones.
19 May it be to him like the clothes he wears and the belt he always has on.
20 Let this be the payback for my enemies from God, and for those who say bad things about me.
21 Help me, God, for the sake of your name; since your mercy is good, rescue me.
22 I am poor and in need, and my heart is hurt inside me.
23 I have vanished like a shadow when it fades; I am shaken back and forth like a locust.
24 My knees are weak from not eating, and I’ve lost weight.
25 I also became someone they insulted; when they saw me, they shook their heads.
26 Help me, God my God; save me because of your kindness.
27 So they will understand this is your work; that you, God, have done it.
28 Let them curse, but you bless: when they stand up, let them be embarrassed; but let your servant be happy.
29 Let my enemies be covered with shame and wrap themselves in their confusion like a cloak.
30 I will praise God a lot with my words; yes, I will praise him in front of many people.
31 He will stand by the poor to protect them from those who judge them wrongly.