New Living Translation

Darby Bible Translation

For the choir director: A psalm of David.

O God, whom I praise,
don’t stand silent and aloof

Song of the Slandered

{To the chief Musician. Of David. A Psalm.} O God of my praise, be not silent:

while the wicked slander me
and tell lies about me.

For the mouth of the wicked [man] and the mouth of deceit are opened against me: they have spoken against me with a lying tongue,

3

They surround me with hateful words
and fight against me for no reason.

3

And with words of hatred have they encompassed me; and they fight against me without a cause.

4

I love them, but they try to destroy me with accusations
even as I am praying for them!

4

For my love they are mine adversaries; but I [give myself unto] prayer.

5

They repay evil for good,
and hatred for my love.

5

And they have rewarded me evil for good, and hatred for my love.

6

They say,a “Get an evil person to turn against him.
Send an accuser to bring him to trial.

6

Set a wicked [man] over him, and let [the] adversary stand at his right hand;

7

When his case comes up for judgment,
let him be pronounced guilty.
Count his prayers as sins.

7

When he shall be judged, let him go out guilty, and let his prayer become sin;

8

Let his years be few;
let someone else take his position.

8

Let his days be few, let another take his office;

9

May his children become fatherless,
and his wife a widow.

9

Let his sons be fatherless, and his wife a widow;

10

May his children wander as beggars
and be driven fromb their ruined homes.

10

Let his sons be vagabonds and beg, and let them seek [their bread] far from their desolate places;

11

May creditors seize his entire estate,
and strangers take all he has earned.

11

Let the usurer cast the net over all that he hath, and let strangers despoil his labour;

12

Let no one be kind to him;
let no one pity his fatherless children.

12

Let there be none to extend kindness unto him, neither let there be any to favour his fatherless children;

13

May all his offspring die.
May his family name be blotted out in the next generation.

13

Let his posterity be cut off; in the generation following let their name be blotted out:

14

May the LORD never forget the sins of his fathers;
may his mother’s sins never be erased from the record.

14

Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered with Jehovah, and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out;

15

May the LORD always remember these sins,
and may his name disappear from human memory.

15

Let them be before Jehovah continually, that he may cut off the memory of them from the earth:

16

For he refused all kindness to others;
he persecuted the poor and needy,
and he hounded the brokenhearted to death.

16

Because he remembered not to shew kindness, but persecuted the afflicted and needy man, and the broken in heart, to slay him.

17

He loved to curse others;
now you curse him.
He never blessed others;
now don’t you bless him.

17

And he loved cursing; so let it come unto him. And he delighted not in blessing; and let it be far from him.

18

Cursing is as natural to him as his clothing,
or the water he drinks,
or the rich food he eats.

18

And he clothed himself with cursing like his vestment; so let it come into his bowels like water, and like oil into his bones;

19

Now may his curses return and cling to him like clothing;
may they be tied around him like a belt.”

19

Let it be unto him as a garment with which he covereth himself, and for a girdle wherewith he is constantly girded.

20

May those curses become the LORD’s punishment
for my accusers who speak evil of me.

20

Let this be the reward of mine adversaries from Jehovah, and of them that speak evil against my soul.

21

But deal well with me, O Sovereign LORD,
for the sake of your own reputation!
Rescue me
because you are so faithful and good.

21

But do *thou* for me, Jehovah, Lord, for thy name's sake; because thy loving-kindness is good, deliver me:

22

For I am poor and needy,
and my heart is full of pain.

22

For I am afflicted and needy, and my heart is wounded within me.

23

I am fading like a shadow at dusk;
I am brushed off like a locust.

23

I am gone like a shadow when it lengtheneth; I am tossed about like the locust;

24

My knees are weak from fasting,
and I am skin and bones.

24

My knees are failing through fasting, and my flesh hath lost its fatness;

25

I am a joke to people everywhere;
when they see me, they shake their heads in scorn.

25

And I am become a reproach unto them; [when] they look upon me they shake their heads.

26

Help me, O LORD my God!
Save me because of your unfailing love.

26

Help me, Jehovah my God; save me according to thy loving-kindness:

27

Let them see that this is your doing,
that you yourself have done it, LORD.

27

That they may know that this is thy hand; that *thou*, Jehovah, hast done it.

28

Then 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!

28

Let *them* curse, but bless *thou*; when they rise up, let them be ashamed, and let thy servant rejoice.

29

May my accusers be clothed with disgrace;
may their humiliation cover them like a cloak.

29

Let mine adversaries be clothed with confusion, and let them cover themselves with their shame as with a mantle.

30

But I will give repeated thanks to the LORD,
praising him to everyone.

30

I will greatly celebrate Jehovah with my mouth; yea, I will praise him among the multitude.

31

For he stands beside the needy,
ready to save them from those who condemn them.

31

For he standeth at the right hand of the needy, to save him from those that judge his soul.

Parallel

New Living Translation

Darby Bible Translation

Psalms 109

Psalms 109