The Book of Psalms

⭑ Douay-Rheims :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 109 -

The song of the slandered

Unto the end, a psalm for David.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Because he remembered not to show mercy,

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

And 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.

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

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

But thou, O Lord, do with for thy names sake: because thy mercy is sweet. Do thou deliver me.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The song of the slandered

God of my praise, don’t remain silent,

for they have opened the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of deceit against me. They have spoken to me with a lying tongue.

They have also surrounded me with words of hatred, and fought against me without a cause.

In return for my love, they are my adversaries; but I am in prayer.

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

Set a wicked man over him. Let an adversary stand at his right hand.

When he is judged, let him come out guilty. Let his prayer be turned into sin.

Let his days be few. Let another take his office.

Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow.

Let his children be wandering beggars. Let them be sought from their ruins.

Let the creditor seize all that he has. Let strangers plunder the fruit of his labor.

Let there be no one to extend kindness to him, neither let there be anyone to have pity on his fatherless children.

Let his posterity be cut off. In the generation following let their name be blotted out.

Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered by the LORD. Don’t let the sin of his mother be blotted out.

Let them be before the LORD continually, that he may cut off their memory from the earth;

because he didn’t remember to show kindness, but persecuted the poor and needy man, the broken in heart, to kill them.

Yes, he loved cursing, and it came to him. He didn’t delight in blessing, and it was far from him.

He clothed himself also with cursing as with his garment. It came into his inward parts like water, like oil into his bones.

Let it be to him as the clothing with which he covers himself, for the belt that is always around him.

This is the reward of my adversaries from the LORD, of those who speak evil against my soul.

But deal with me, GOD the Lord,(a) for your name’s sake, because your loving kindness is good, deliver me;

for I am poor and needy. My heart is wounded within me.

I fade away like an evening shadow. I am shaken off like a locust.

My knees are weak through fasting. My body is thin and lacks fat.

I have also become a reproach to them. When they see me, they shake their head.

Help me, LORD, my God. Save me according to your loving kindness;

that they may know that this is your hand; that you, LORD, have done it.

They may curse, but you bless. When they arise, they will be shamed, but your servant shall rejoice.

Let my adversaries be clothed with dishonor. Let them cover themselves with their own shame as with a robe.

I will give great thanks to the LORD with my mouth. Yes, I will praise him among the multitude.

For he will stand at the right hand of the needy, to save him from those who judge his soul.

Footnotes

(a)109:21 The word translated “Lord” is “Adonai.”