1091 God of my praise, don’t remain silent, 2 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. 3 They have also surrounded me with words of hatred,
and fought against me without a cause. 4 In return for my love, they are my adversaries;
but I am in prayer. 5 They have rewarded me evil for good,
and hatred for my love.
6 Set a wicked man over him.
Let an adversary stand at his right hand. 7 When he is judged, let him come forth guilty.
Let his prayer be turned into sin. 8 Let his days be few.
Let another take his office. 9 Let his children be fatherless,
and his wife a widow. 10 Let his children be wandering beggars.
Let them be sought from their ruins. 11 Let the creditor seize all that he has.
Let strangers plunder the fruit of his labor. 12 Let there be none to extend kindness to him,
neither let there be any to have pity on his fatherless children. 13 Let his posterity be cut off.
In the generation following let their name be blotted out. 14 Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered by Yahweh.
Don’t let the sin of his mother be blotted out. 15 Let them be before Yahweh continually,
that he may cut off the memory of them from the earth; 16 because he didn’t remember to show kindness,
but persecuted the poor and needy man,
the broken in heart, to kill them. 17 Yes, he loved cursing, and it came to him.
He didn’t delight in blessing, and it was far from him. 18 He clothed himself also with cursing as with his garment.
It came into his inward parts like water,
like oil into his bones. 19 Let it be to him as the clothing with which he covers himself,
for the belt that is always around him. 20 This is the reward of my adversaries from Yahweh,
of those who speak evil against my soul.
21 But deal with me, Yahweh the Lord, for your name’s sake,
because your loving kindness is good, deliver me; 22 for I am poor and needy.
My heart is wounded within me. 23 I fade away like an evening shadow.
I am shaken off like a locust. 24 My knees are weak through fasting.
My body is thin and lacks fat. 25 I have also become a reproach to them.
When they see me, they shake their head. 26 Help me, Yahweh, my God.
Save me according to your loving kindness; 27 that they may know that this is your hand;
that you, Yahweh, have done it. 28 They may curse, but you bless.
When they arise, they will be shamed,
but your servant shall rejoice. 29 Let my adversaries be clothed with dishonor.
Let them cover themselves with their own shame as with a robe. 30 I will give great thanks to Yahweh with my mouth.
Yes, I will praise him among the multitude. 31 For he will stand at the right hand of the needy,
to save him from those who judge his soul.
1091 My God, don't turn a deaf ear to my hallelujah prayer. 2 Liars are pouring out invective on me; Their lying tongues are like a pack of dogs out to get me, 3 barking their hate, nipping my heels - and for no reason! 4 I loved them and now they slander me - yes, me! - and treat my prayer like a crime; 5 They return my good with evil, they return my love with hate.
6 Send the Evil One to accuse my accusing judge; dispatch Satan to prosecute him. 7 When he's judged, let the verdict be, "Guilty," and when he prays, let his prayer turn to sin. 8 Give him a short life, and give his job to somebody else. 9 Make orphans of his children, dress his wife in widow's weeds; 10 Turn his children into begging street urchins, evicted from their homes - homeless. 11 May the bank foreclose and wipe him out, and strangers, like vultures, pick him clean. 12 May there be no one around to help him out, no one willing to give his orphans a break. 13 Chop down his family tree so that nobody even remembers his name. 14 But erect a memorial to the sin of his father, and make sure his mother's name is there, too - 15 Their sins recorded forever before God, but they themselves sunk in oblivion. 16 That's all he deserves since he was never once kind, hounded the afflicted and heartbroken to their graves. 17 Since he loved cursing so much, let curses rain down; Since he had no taste for blessing, let blessings flee far from him. 18 He dressed up in curses like a fine suit of clothes; he drank curses, took his baths in curses. 19 So give him a gift - a costume of curses; he can wear curses every day of the week! 20 That's what they'll get, those out to get me - an avalanche of just deserts from God.
21 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! - 22 I'm at the end of my rope, my life in ruins. 23 I'm fading away to nothing, passing away, my youth gone, old before my time. 24 I'm weak from hunger and can hardly stand up, my body a rack of skin and bones. 25 I'm a joke in poor taste to those who see me; they take one look and shake their heads. 26 Help me, oh help me, God, my God, save me through your wonderful love; 27 Then they'll know that your hand is in this, that you, God, have been at work. 28 Let them curse all they want; you do the blessing. 29 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. 30 My mouth's full of great praise for God, I'm singing his hallelujahs surrounded by crowds, 31 For he's always at hand to take the side of the needy, to rescue a life from the unjust judge.
