Psalms 108

¹Unto the end. A Psalm of David.

²O God, do not be silent toward my praise, for the mouth of the sinner and the mouth of the deceitful one have been opened against me.

³They have spoken against me with deceitful tongues, and they have surrounded me with hateful words, and they fought against me over nothing.

⁴Instead of choosing to act on my behalf, they detracted me. But I gave myself to prayer.

⁵And they set evil against me, instead of good, and hatred, in return for my love.

⁶Establish the sinner over him, and let the devil stand at his right hand.

⁷When he is judged, may he go forth in condemnation, and may his prayer be counted as sin.

⁸May his days be few, and let another take his episcopate.

⁹May his sons be orphans, and his wife a widow.

¹⁰May his sons be carried by those who walk unsteadily, and may they go begging. And may they be cast out of their dwelling places.

¹¹May the money lenders scrutinize all his belongings, and let foreigners plunder his labors.

¹²May there be no one to assist him, nor anyone to be compassionate to his orphaned children.

¹³May his posterity be in utter ruin. In one generation, may his name be wiped away.

¹⁴May the iniquity of his fathers return in memory before the sight of the Lord, and do not let the sin of his mother be wiped away.

¹⁵May these be opposite the Lord always, but let their memory perish from the earth.

¹⁶For certain things are not remembered about them, in order to be merciful.

¹⁷And so the destitute man was pursued, with the beggar and the remorseful in heart, so as to be put to death.

¹⁸And he loved a curse, and it came to him. And he was unwilling to have a blessing, and it went far from him. And he clothed himself with curses like a garment, and it entered his inner self like water, and it entered his bones like oil.

¹⁹May it be to him like a garment that covers him, and like a belt that always cinches him.

²⁰This is the work of those who detract me with the Lord and who speak evils against my soul.

²¹But as for you, Lord, O Lord: act on my behalf for your name’s sake. For your mercy is sweet.

²²Free me, for I am destitute and poor, and my heart has been disquieted within me.

²³I have been taken away like a shadow when it declines, and I have been shaken off like locusts.

²⁴My knees have been weakened by fasting, and my flesh has been replaced by oil.

²⁵And I have become a disgrace to them. They saw me, and they shook their heads.

²⁶Help me, O Lord, my God. Save me according to your mercy.

²⁷And let them know that this is your hand, and that you, O Lord, have done this.

²⁸They will curse, and you will bless. May those who rise up against me be confounded. But your servant will rejoice.

²⁹May those who detract me be clothed with shame, and may they be covered with their confusion, as if with a double cloak.

³⁰I will confess exceedingly to the Lord with my mouth. And I will praise him in the midst of the multitude.

³¹For he stands at the right hand of the poor, in order to save my soul from persecutors.

Psalms 108

¹Unto the end, a psalm for David.

²O God, be not thou silent in my praise: for the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful man is opened against me.

³They have spoken against me with deceitful tongues; and they have compassed me about with words of hatred; and have fought against me without cause.

⁴Instead of making me a return of love, they detracted me: but I gave myself to prayer.

⁵And they repaid me evil for good: and hatred for my love.

⁶Set thou the sinner over him: and may the devil stand at his right hand.

⁷When he is judged, may he go out condemned; and may his prayer be turned to sin.

⁸May his days be few: and his bishopric let another take.

⁹May his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow.

¹⁰Let his children be carried about vagabonds, and beg; and let them be cast out of their dwellings.

¹¹May the usurer search all his substance: and let strangers plunder his labours.

¹²May there be none to help him: nor none to pity his fatherless offspring.

¹³May his posterity be cut off; in one generation may his name be blotted out.

¹⁴May the iniquity of his fathers be remembered in the sight of the Lord: and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out.

¹⁵May they be before the Lord continually, and let the memory of them perish from the earth:

¹⁶because he remembered not to shew mercy,

¹⁷But persecuted the poor man and the beggar; and the broken in heart, to put him to death.

¹⁸And he loved cursing, and it shall come unto him: and he would not have blessing, and it shall be far from him. And he put on cursing, like a garment: and it went in like water into his entrails, and like oil in his bones.

¹⁹May it be unto him like a garment which covereth him; and like a girdle with which he is girded continually.

²⁰This is the work of them who detract me before the Lord; and who speak evils against my soul.

²¹But thou, O Lord, do with me for thy name's sake: because thy mercy is sweet. Do thou deliver me,

²²For I am poor and needy, and my heart is troubled within me.

²³I am taken away like the shadow when it declineth: and I am shaken off as locusts.

²⁴My knees are weakened through fasting: and my flesh is changed for oil.

²⁵And I am become a reproach to them: they saw me and they shaked their heads.

²⁶Help me, O Lord my God; save me; according to thy mercy.

²⁷And let them know that this is thy hand: and that thou, O Lord, hast done it.

²⁸They will curse and thou wilt bless: let them that rise up against me be confounded: but thy servant shall rejoice.

²⁹Let them that detract me be clothed with shame: and let them be covered with their confusion as with a double cloak.

³⁰I will give great thanks to the Lord with my mouth: and in the midst of many I will praise him.

³¹Because he hath stood at the right hand of the poor, to save my soul from persecutors.