Mazmur 109:9-12

109:9 May his children ¹  be fatherless,

and his wife a widow!

109:10 May his children ²  roam around begging,

asking for handouts as they leave their ruined home! ³ 

109:11 May the creditor seize ⁴  all he owns!

May strangers loot his property! ⁵ 

109:12 May no one show him kindness! ⁶ 

May no one have compassion ⁷  on his fatherless children!

[109:9]  ¹ tn Or “sons.”

[109:10]  ² tn Or “sons.”

[109:10]  ³ tn Heb “and roaming, may his children roam and beg, and seek from their ruins.” Some, following the LXX, emend the term וְדָרְשׁוּ (vÿdoreshu, “and seek”) to יְגֹרְשׁוּ (yÿgoreshu; a Pual jussive, “may they be driven away” [see Job 30:5; cf. NIV, NRSV]), but דָּרַשׁ (darash) nicely parallels שִׁאֵלוּ (shi’elu, “and beg”) in the preceding line.

[109:11]  ⁴ tn Heb “lay snares for” (see Ps 38:12).

[109:11]  ⁵ tn Heb “the product of his labor.”

[109:12]  ⁶ tn Heb “may there not be for him one who extends loyal love.”

[109:12]  ⁷ tn Perhaps this refers to being generous (see Ps 37:21).