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²⁴My knees have been weakened by fasting, and my flesh has been replaced by oil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