Psalms 109:16-31
Psalms 109:6-31 The Message (MSG)
Send the Evil One to accuse my accusing judge; dispatch Satan to prosecute him. When he’s judged, let the verdict be “Guilty,” and when he prays, let his prayer turn to sin. Give him a short life, and give his job to somebody else. Make orphans of his children, dress his wife in widow’s black; Turn his children into begging street urchins, evicted from their homes—homeless. May the bank foreclose and wipe him out, and strangers, like vultures, pick him clean. May there be no one around to help him out, no one willing to give his orphans a break. Chop down his family tree so that nobody even remembers his name. But erect a memorial to the sin of his father, and make sure his mother’s name is there, too— Their sins recorded forever before GOD, but they themselves sunk in oblivion. That’s all he deserves since he was never once kind, hounded the afflicted and heartbroken to their graves. Since he loved cursing so much, let curses rain down; Since he had no taste for blessing, let blessings flee far from him. He dressed up in curses like a fine suit of clothes; he drank curses, took his baths in curses. So give him a gift—a costume of curses; he can wear curses every day of the week! That’s what they’ll get, those out to get me— an avalanche of just deserts from GOD. Oh, GOD, my Lord, step in; work a miracle for me—you can do it! Get me out of here—your love is so great!— I’m at the end of my rope, my life in ruins. I’m fading away to nothing, passing away, my youth gone, old before my time. I’m weak from hunger and can hardly stand up, my body a rack of skin and bones. I’m a joke in poor taste to those who see me; they take one look and shake their heads. Help me, oh help me, GOD, my God, save me through your wonderful love; Then they’ll know that your hand is in this, that you, GOD, have been at work. Let them curse all they want; you do the blessing. Let them be jeered by the crowd when they stand up, followed by cheers for me, your servant. Dress my accusers in clothes dirty with shame, discarded and humiliating old ragbag clothes. My mouth’s full of great praise for GOD, I’m singing his hallelujahs surrounded by crowds, For he’s always at hand to take the side of the needy, to rescue a life from the unjust judge.
Psalms 109:16-31 King James Version (KJV)
Because that he remembered not to shew mercy, But persecuted the poor and needy man, That he might even slay the broken in heart. As he loved cursing, so let it come unto him: As he delighted not in blessing, so let it be far from him. As he clothed himself with cursing like as with his garment, So let it come into his bowels like water, and like oil into his bones. Let it be unto him as the garment which covereth him, And for a girdle wherewith he is girded continually. Let this be the reward of mine adversaries from the LORD, And of them that speak evil against my soul. But do thou for me, O GOD the Lord, for thy name's sake: Because thy mercy is good, deliver thou me. For I am poor and needy, And my heart is wounded within me. I am gone like the shadow when it declineth: I am tossed up and down as the locust. My knees are weak through fasting; And my flesh faileth of fatness. I became also a reproach unto them: When they looked upon me they shaked their heads. Help me, O LORD my God: O save me according to thy mercy: That they may know that this is thy hand; That thou, LORD, hast done it. Let them curse, but bless thou: When they arise, let them be ashamed; but let thy servant rejoice. Let mine adversaries be clothed with shame, And let them cover themselves with their own confusion, as with a mantle. I will greatly praise the LORD with my mouth; Yea, I will praise him among the multitude. For he shall stand at the right hand of the poor, To save him from those that condemn his soul.
Psalms 109:16-31 New American Standard Bible - NASB 1995 (NASB1995)
Because he did not remember to show lovingkindness, But persecuted the afflicted and needy man, And the despondent in heart, to put them to death. He also loved cursing, so it came to him; And he did not delight in blessing, so it was far from him. But he clothed himself with cursing as with his garment, And it entered into his body like water And like oil into his bones. Let it be to him as a garment with which he covers himself, And for a belt with which he constantly girds himself. Let this be the reward of my accusers from the LORD, And of those who speak evil against my soul. But You, O GOD, the Lord, deal kindly with me for Your name’s sake; Because Your lovingkindness is good, deliver me; For I am afflicted and needy, And my heart is wounded within me. I am passing like a shadow when it lengthens; I am shaken off like the locust. My knees are weak from fasting, And my flesh has grown lean, without fatness. I also have become a reproach to them; When they see me, they wag their head. Help me, O LORD my God; Save me according to Your lovingkindness. And let them know that this is Your hand; You, LORD, have done it. Let them curse, but You bless; When they arise, they shall be ashamed, But Your servant shall be glad. Let my accusers be clothed with dishonor, And let them cover themselves with their own shame as with a robe. With my mouth I will give thanks abundantly to the LORD; And in the midst of many I will praise Him. For He stands at the right hand of the needy, To save him from those who judge his soul.
Psalms 109:16-31 New Century Version (NCV)
“He did not remember to be loving. He hurt the poor, the needy, and those who were sad until they were nearly dead. He loved to put curses on others, so let those same curses fall on him. He did not like to bless others, so do not let good things happen to him. He cursed others as often as he wore clothes. Cursing others filled his body and his life, like drinking water and using olive oil. So let curses cover him like clothes and wrap around him like a belt.” May the LORD do these things to those who accuse me, to those who speak evil against me. But you, Lord GOD, be kind to me so others will know you are good. Because your love is good, save me. I am poor and helpless and very sad. I am dying like an evening shadow; I am shaken off like a locust. My knees are weak from fasting, and I have grown thin. My enemies insult me; they look at me and shake their heads. LORD my God, help me; because you are loving, save me. Then they will know that your power has done this; they will know that you have done it, LORD. They may curse me, but you bless me. They may attack me, but they will be disgraced. Then I, your servant, will be glad. Let those who accuse me be disgraced and covered with shame like a coat. I will thank the LORD very much; I will praise him in front of many people. He defends the helpless and saves them from those who accuse them.
Psalms 109:16-31 American Standard Version (ASV)
Because he remembered not to show kindness, But persecuted the poor and needy man, And the broken in heart, to slay them. Yea, he loved cursing, and it came unto him; And he delighted not in blessing, and it was far from him. He clothed himself also with cursing as with his garment, And it came into his inward parts like water, And like oil into his bones. Let it be unto him as the raiment wherewith he covereth himself, And for the girdle wherewith he is girded continually. This is the reward of mine adversaries from Jehovah, And of them that speak evil against my soul. But deal thou with me, O Jehovah the Lord, for thy name’s sake: Because thy lovingkindness is good, deliver thou me; For I am poor and needy, And my heart is wounded within me. I am gone like the shadow when it declineth: I am tossed up and down as the locust. My knees are weak through fasting; And my flesh faileth of fatness. I am become also a reproach unto them: When they see me, they shake their head. Help me, O Jehovah my God; Oh save me according to thy lovingkindness: That they may know that this is thy hand; That thou, Jehovah, hast done it. Let them curse, but bless thou: When they arise, they shall be put to shame, But thy servant shall rejoice. Let mine adversaries be clothed with dishonor, And let them cover themselves with their own shame as with a robe. I will give great thanks unto Jehovah with my mouth; Yea, I will praise him among the multitude. For he will stand at the right hand of the needy, To save him from them that judge his soul.
Psalms 109:16-31 New International Version (NIV)
For he never thought of doing a kindness, but hounded to death the poor and the needy and the brokenhearted. He loved to pronounce a curse— may it come back on him. He found no pleasure in blessing— may it be far from him. He wore cursing as his garment; it entered into his body like water, into his bones like oil. May it be like a cloak wrapped about him, like a belt tied forever around him. May this be the LORD’s payment to my accusers, to those who speak evil of me. But you, Sovereign LORD, help me for your name’s sake; out of the goodness of your love, deliver me. For I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me. I fade away like an evening shadow; I am shaken off like a locust. My knees give way from fasting; my body is thin and gaunt. I am an object of scorn to my accusers; when they see me, they shake their heads. Help me, LORD my God; save me according to your unfailing love. Let them know that it is your hand, that you, LORD, have done it. While they curse, may you bless; may those who attack me be put to shame, but may your servant rejoice. May my accusers be clothed with disgrace and wrapped in shame as in a cloak. With my mouth I will greatly extol the LORD; in the great throng of worshipers I will praise him. For he stands at the right hand of the needy, to save their lives from those who would condemn them.
Psalms 109:16-31 New King James Version (NKJV)
Because he did not remember to show mercy, But persecuted the poor and needy man, That he might even slay the broken in heart. As he loved cursing, so let it come to him; As he did not delight in blessing, so let it be far from him. As he clothed himself with cursing as with his garment, So let it enter his body like water, And like oil into his bones. Let it be to him like the garment which covers him, And for a belt with which he girds himself continually. Let this be the LORD’s reward to my accusers, And to those who speak evil against my person. But You, O GOD the Lord, Deal with me for Your name’s sake; Because Your mercy is good, deliver me. For I am poor and needy, And my heart is wounded within me. I am gone like a shadow when it lengthens; I am shaken off like a locust. My knees are weak through fasting, And my flesh is feeble from lack of fatness. I also have become a reproach to them; When they look at me, they shake their heads. Help me, O LORD my God! Oh, save me according to Your mercy, That they may know that this is Your hand— That You, LORD, have done it! Let them curse, but You bless; When they arise, let them be ashamed, But let Your servant rejoice. Let my accusers be clothed with shame, And let them cover themselves with their own disgrace as with a mantle. I will greatly praise the LORD with my mouth; Yes, I will praise Him among the multitude. For He shall stand at the right hand of the poor, To save him from those who condemn him.
Psalms 109:16-31 Amplified Bible (AMP)
Because the man did not remember to show kindness, But persecuted the suffering and needy man, And the brokenhearted, to put them to death. He also loved cursing, and it came [back] to him; He did not delight in blessing, so it was far from him. He clothed himself with cursing as with his garment, And it seeped into his inner self like water And like [anointing] oil into his bones. Let it be to him as a robe with which he covers himself, And as a sash with which he is constantly bound. Let this be the reward of my attackers from the LORD, And of those who speak evil against my life. ¶But You, O GOD, the Lord, show kindness to me, for Your name’s sake; Because Your lovingkindness (faithfulness, compassion) is good, O rescue me; For I am suffering and needy, And my heart is wounded within me. I am vanishing like a shadow when it lengthens and fades; I am shaken off like the locust. My knees are unsteady from fasting; And my flesh is gaunt and without fatness. I also have become a reproach and an object of taunting to others; When they see me, they shake their heads [in derision]. [Matt 26:39] ¶Help me, O LORD my God; Save me according to Your lovingkindness— And let them know that this is Your hand; You, LORD, have done it. Let them curse, but You bless. When adversaries arise, let them be ashamed, But let Your servant rejoice. Let my attackers be clothed with dishonor, And let them cover themselves with their own shame as with a robe. ¶I will give great praise and thanks to the LORD with my mouth; And in the midst of many I will praise Him. For He will stand at the right hand of the needy, To save him from those who judge his soul.
Psalms 109:16-31 New Living Translation (NLT)
For he refused all kindness to others; he persecuted the poor and needy, and he hounded the brokenhearted to death. He loved to curse others; now you curse him. He never blessed others; now don’t you bless him. Cursing is as natural to him as his clothing, or the water he drinks, or the rich food he eats. Now may his curses return and cling to him like clothing; may they be tied around him like a belt.” May those curses become the LORD’s punishment for my accusers who speak evil of me. But deal well with me, O Sovereign LORD, for the sake of your own reputation! Rescue me because you are so faithful and good. For I am poor and needy, and my heart is full of pain. I am fading like a shadow at dusk; I am brushed off like a locust. My knees are weak from fasting, and I am skin and bones. I am a joke to people everywhere; when they see me, they shake their heads in scorn. Help me, O LORD my God! Save me because of your unfailing love. Let them see that this is your doing, that you yourself have done it, LORD. 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! May my accusers be clothed with disgrace; may their humiliation cover them like a cloak. But I will give repeated thanks to the LORD, praising him to everyone. For he stands beside the needy, ready to save them from those who condemn them.
Psalms 109:16-31 The Passion Translation (TPT)
because he never once showed love or kindness to others, but persecuted the poor, the brokenhearted, and afflicted ones, even putting them to death! Since he enjoyed cursing them, may all his curses now come raining back on him until it all overwhelms him with misfortune! Since he refused to bless others, God, withhold every single blessing from him! Bitterness, such vile vindictiveness, was upon everything he did. Cursing was his lifestyle. So smother him now with his own curses as his just reward. This will be the Lord’s punishment upon him and all my lying accusers who speak evil against me. But now, O YAHWEH-God, make yourself real to me like you promised me you would. Because of your constant love and your heart-melting kindness, come be my hero and deliver me! I’m so broken, needy and hurting. My heart is pierced through and I’m so wounded. I’m slipping down a dark slope, shaken to the core, and helpless. All my fasting has left me so weak I can hardly stand. Now I’m shriveled up, nothing but skin and bones. I’m the example of failure and shame to all who see me. They just walk by me, shaking their heads. You have to help me, O Lord God! My true hero, come to my rescue and save me, for you are loving and kind. Then everyone will know that you have won my victory, and they will all say to the Lord, “You have finished it!” So let them curse me if they want, but I know you will bless me! All their efforts to destroy me will fail, but I will succeed and be glad. So let my Satan-like accusers fail! Make them look ridiculous if they try to come against me. Clothe them with a robe of guilty shame from this day on! But I will give my thanks to you over and over, and everyone will hear my lavish praises. For you stand right next to the broken ones as their saving hero to rescue them from all their accusers!
Psalms 109:16-31 English Standard Version 2016 (ESV)
For he did not remember to show kindness, but pursued the poor and needy and the brokenhearted, to put them to death. He loved to curse; let curses come upon him! He did not delight in blessing; may it be far from him! He clothed himself with cursing as his coat; may it soak into his body like water, like oil into his bones! May it be like a garment that he wraps around him, like a belt that he puts on every day! May this be the reward of my accusers from the LORD, of those who speak evil against my life! But you, O GOD my Lord, deal on my behalf for your name’s sake; because your steadfast love is good, deliver me! For I am poor and needy, and my heart is stricken within me. I am gone like a shadow at evening; I am shaken off like a locust. My knees are weak through fasting; my body has become gaunt, with no fat. I am an object of scorn to my accusers; when they see me, they wag their heads. Help me, O LORD my God! Save me according to your steadfast love! Let them know that this is your hand; you, O LORD, have done it! Let them curse, but you will bless! They arise and are put to shame, but your servant will be glad! May my accusers be clothed with dishonor; may they be wrapped in their own shame as in a cloak! With my mouth I will give great thanks to the LORD; I will praise him in the midst of the throng. For he stands at the right hand of the needy one, to save him from those who condemn his soul to death.