Chapter 109

1For the conductor. Of David, a song. O God of my praise, be not silent.   אלַֽמְנַצֵּחַ לְדָוִ֣ד מִזְמ֑וֹר אֱלֹהֵ֥י תְ֜הִלָּתִ֗י אַל־תֶּֽחֱרַֽשׁ:
O God of my praise, be not silent: This was said regarding all Israel.  
2For the mouth of a wicked man and the mouth of a deceitful man have opened upon me; they spoke with me with a lying tongue.   בכִּ֚י פִ֪י רָשָׁ֡ע וּפִֽי־מִ֖רְמָה עָלַ֣י פָּתָ֑חוּ דִּבְּר֥וּ אִ֜תִּ֗י לְשׁ֣וֹן שָֽׁקֶר:
For the mouth of a wicked man: Ishmael.  
3And with words of hatred they have surrounded me, and they have fought with me without cause.   גוְדִבְרֵ֣י שִׂנְאָ֣ה סְבָב֑וּנִי וַיִּלָּֽחֲמ֥וּנִי חִנָּֽם:
4Instead of my love, they persecute me, but I am at prayer.   דתַּֽחַת־אַֽהֲבָתִ֥י יִשְֹ֜טְנ֗וּנִי וַֽאֲנִ֥י תְפִלָּֽה:
Instead of my love: for You, they hinder me.  
but I am at prayer: But I pray to You constantly. I found:  
5They have imposed upon me evil instead of good and hatred instead of my love.   הוַיָּ֘שִׂ֚ימוּ עָלַ֣י רָ֖עָה תַּ֣חַת טוֹבָ֑ה וְ֜שִׂנְאָ֗ה תַּ֣חַת אַֽהֲבָתִֽי:
evil instead of good: I sacrifice seventy bulls every year for the seventy nations, and we request rain, yet they harm us. Shocher Tov (109:4).  
6Set a wicked man over him, and let an adversary stand at his right hand.   והַפְקֵ֣ד עָלָ֣יו רָשָׁ֑ע וְ֜שָׂטָ֗ן יַֽעֲמֹ֥ד עַל־יְמִינֽוֹ:
7When he is judged, let him emerge guilty, and let his prayer be accounted as a sin.   זבְּהִשָּׁ֣פְטוֹ יֵצֵ֣א רָשָׁ֑ע וּ֜תְפִלָּת֗וֹ תִּהְיֶ֥ה לַֽחֲטָאָֽה:
When he is judged: before You, may he emerge from Your judgment guilty and wicked.  
8May his days be few, and may someone else take his office of dignity.   חיִֽהְיוּ־יָמָ֥יו מְעַטִּ֑ים פְּ֜קֻדָּת֗וֹ יִקַּ֥ח אַחֵֽר:
his office of dignity: Heb. פקדתו, his greatness, provostie or pruvote in Old French, like (Esther 2:3): “And let the king appoint officers (פקידים).”  
9May his sons be orphans and his wife a widow.   טיִֽהְיוּ־בָנָ֥יו יְתוֹמִ֑ים וְאִשְׁתּ֥וֹ אַלְמָנָֽה:
10May his sons wander, and [people] should ask and search from their ruins.   יוְנ֚וֹעַ יָנ֣וּעוּ בָנָ֣יו וְשִׁאֵ֑לוּ וְ֜דָֽרְשׁ֗וּ מֵֽחָרְבֽוֹתֵיהֶֽם:
and [people] should ask and search from their ruins: Everyone will ask about them, what happened to So-and-so and So-and-so, because of the rumor of ruin that emerged about them. And “search” (וְדָרְשוּ) means from others, because it is vowelized with a short “kamatz,” and וְשִׁאֵלוּ also means from others, that others should ask about them. This can also be interpreted as וְשִׁאֵלוּ, of the intensive conjugation, meaning that they will go around by the doors [to beg for alms].  
11May a creditor search out all he has, and may strangers despoil his labor.   יאיְנַקֵּ֣שׁ נ֖וֹשֶׁה לְכָל־אֲשֶׁר־ל֑וֹ וְיָבֹ֖זּוּ זָרִ֣ים יְגִיעֽוֹ:
May a creditor search out all he has: Heb. ינקש. A person who toils and searches, and longs passionately to do something is described by the expression מִתְנַקֵשׁ, i.e., shaken and going from place to place, like (Dan. 5:6): “and his knees knocked (נקשן) against each other.”  
12May he have none who extends kindness, and may no one be gracious to his orphans.   יבאַל־יְהִי־ל֖וֹ מֹשֵׁ֣ךְ חָ֑סֶד וְֽאַל־יְהִ֥י ח֜וֹנֵ֗ן לִֽיתוֹמָֽיו:
13May his end be to be cut off; in another generation may their name be blotted out.   יגיְהִֽי־אַֽחֲרִית֥וֹ לְהַכְרִ֑ית בְּד֥וֹר אַ֜חֵ֗ר יִמַּ֥ח שְׁמָֽם:
in another generation: that will come after his being cut off, his name and his fame will be blotted out so that not even a remembrance will remain of him in the mouth of the generation that is born in the world after his name will be destroyed, sa retremure in Old French, its extirpation.  
14May the iniquity against his forefathers be remembered by the Lord, and may the sin against his mother not be erased.   ידיִזָּכֵ֚ר | עֲו‍ֹ֣ן אֲ֖בֹתָיו אֶל־יְהֹוָ֑ה וְחַטַּ֥את אִ֜מּ֗וֹ אַל־תִּמָּֽח:
the iniquity against his forefathers: The iniquity that he sinned against his forebears, to Abraham, whose life he shortened by five years, and to his father he caused blindness.  
and the sin against his mother: that he destroyed her womb, and that he caused the day of her burial to be concealed from the people, lest they curse her for Esau emerged from her womb, as it is said (Gen. 35:8): “Deborah, Rebecca’s nurse, died… the Plain of Weeping.” In Greek, another is called “allon,” for Jacob had another mourning along with that of Deborah, for his mother died and they concealed her death.  
15May they be before the Lord constantly, and may He cut off their remembrance from the earth.   טויִֽהְי֣וּ נֶֽגֶד־יְהֹוָ֣ה תָּמִ֑יד וְיַכְרֵ֖ת מֵאֶ֣רֶץ זִכְרָֽם:
May they be: [May] these iniquities [be] before the Lord constantly.  
and may He cut off their remembrance from the earth: [the remembrance] of Esau and his chieftains.  
16Because he did not remember to do kindness, and he pursued a poor and needy man, and a broken-hearted one, to kill [him].   טזיַ֗עַן אֲשֶׁ֚ר | לֹֽא־זָכַר֘ עֲשׂ֪וֹת֫ חָ֥סֶד וַיִּרְדֹּ֡ף אִישׁ־עָנִ֣י וְ֖אֶבְיוֹן וְנִכְאֵ֨ה לֵבָ֬ב לְמוֹתֵֽת:
Because he did not remember to do kindness: to engage in the mourning of his father, as Jacob had made a pottage of lentils to console Isaac, for on that day Abraham had died.  
a poor… man: Israel.  
17And he loved a curse, and it came upon him; and he did not desire a blessing, and it distanced itself from him.   יזוַיֶּֽאֱהַ֣ב קְ֖לָלָה וַתְּבוֹאֵ֑הוּ וְלֹֽא־חָפֵ֥ץ בִּ֜בְרָכָ֗ה וַתִּרְחַ֥ק מִמֶּֽנּוּ:
And he loved a curse: [Esau loved] the curse of the Holy One, blessed be He, Whose existence he denied.  
18And he donned a curse like his garment, and it came into his midst like water and into his bones like oil.   יחוַיִּלְבַּ֥שׁ קְלָלָ֗ה כְּמַ֫דּ֥וֹ וַתָּבֹ֣א כַמַּ֣יִם בְּקִרְבּ֑וֹ וְ֜כַשֶּׁ֗מֶן בְּעַצְמוֹתָֽיו:
And he donned a curse: He brought himself into a curse and was satisfied with breaking off the yoke of the sacrifice and the priestly blessing and the curse of the heathens.  
19May it be to him as a garment with which he envelops himself and as a girdle with which he constantly girds himself.   יטתְּֽהִי־ל֖וֹ כְּבֶ֣גֶד יַעְטֶּ֑ה וּ֜לְמֵ֗זַח תָּ֘מִ֥יד יַחְגְּרֶֽהָ:
May it be to him: [May] the curse [be to him] as an envelopment like a garment. [This] I found.  
and as a girdle… constantly: Heb. ולמזח, a girdle, and so, (Job 12:21): “and loosens the belt (מזיח) of the strong.” He loosens the belt of the strong.  
20This is the recompense of my adversaries from the Lord, and those who speak evil upon my soul.   כזֹ֗את | פְּעֻלַּ֣ת שֽׂ֖טְנַי מֵאֵ֣ת יְהֹוָ֑ה וְהַדֹּֽבְרִ֥ים רָ֜֗ע עַל־נַפְשִֽׁי:
21But You, O God, my Lord, do with me for Your name's sake, for Your kindness is good; save me.   כאוְאַתָּ֚ה | יֱהֹ֘וִ֚ה אֲדֹנָ֗י עֲֽשֵׂה־אִ֖תִּי לְמַ֣עַן שְׁמֶ֑ךָ כִּי־ט֥וֹב חַסְדְּךָ֣ הַצִּילֵֽנִי:
22For I am poor and needy, and my heart has died within me.   כבכִּֽי־עָנִ֣י וְאֶבְי֣וֹן אָנֹ֑כִי וְ֜לִבִּ֗י חָלַ֥ל בְּקִרְבִּֽי:
23Like a shadow when it lengthens, I was driven about; I was stirred up like a locust.   כגכְּצֵ֣ל כִּנְטוֹת֣וֹ נֶֽהֱלָ֑כְתִּי נִ֜נְעַ֗רְתִּי כָּֽאַרְבֶּֽה:
Like a shadow when it lengthens: at eventide.  
I was stirred up: an expression of stirring and mixing and astonishment, like a locust, which wanders to and fro and is stirred up. [This] I found:  
24My knees stumbled from fasting, and my flesh became emaciated from fat.   כדבִּרְכַּי כָּֽשְׁל֣וּ מִצּ֑וֹם וּ֜בְשָׂרִ֗י כָּחַ֥שׁ מִשָּֽׁמֶן:
25And I was a disgrace to them; they would see me, they would shake their head.   כהוַֽאֲנִ֚י | הָיִ֣יתִי חֶרְפָּ֣ה לָהֶ֑ם יִ֜רְא֗וּנִי יְנִיע֥וּן רֹאשָֽׁם:
26Help me, O Lord, my God; save me according to Your kindness.   כועָזְרֵנִי יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהָ֑י ה֖וֹשִׁיעֵ֣נִי כְחַסְדֶּֽךָ:
27And they should know that this is Your hand; You, O Lord, have done it.   כזוְיֵֽדְעוּ כִּֽי־יָ֥דְךָ זֹּ֑את אַתָּ֖ה יְהֹוָ֣ה עֲשִׂיתָֽהּ:
28Let them curse and You will bless; they rose up and were ashamed, but Your servant will rejoice.   כחיְקַֽלְל֣וּ הֵמָּה֘ וְאַתָּ֪ה תְבָ֫רֵ֥ךְ קָ֚מוּ | וַיֵּבֹ֗שׁוּ וְעַבְדְּךָ֥ יִשְׂמָֽח:
29May my adversaries don disgrace and enwrap themselves with their shame like a cloak.   כטיִלְבְּשׁ֣וּ שֽׂוֹטְנַ֣י כְּלִמָּ֑ה וְיַֽעֲט֖וּ כַמְעִ֣יל בָּשְׁתָּֽם:
and enwrap themselves… like a cloak: which enwraps and envelops the entire body.  
30I shall thank the Lord exceedingly with my mouth, and among many people I shall praise Him.   לא֘וֹדֶ֚ה יְהֹוָ֣ה מְאֹ֣ד בְּפִ֑י וּבְת֖וֹךְ רַבִּ֣ים אֲהַֽלְלֶֽנּוּ:
31For He will stand to the right of the needy to save [him] from those who judge his soul.   לאכִּֽי־יַֽ֖עֲמֹד לִימִ֣ין אֶבְי֑וֹן לְ֜הוֹשִׁ֗יעַ מִשֹּֽׁפְטֵ֥י נַפְשֽׁוֹ: