Yesterday, this non-Christian was idly flipping through a copy of the Bible. It's an interesting book, and Christianity can be a very good religion. I've written about this before.
But yesterday I discovered Psalm 109.
And, considering my usual reading material and the context of the psalm itself, I couldn't help but think of a particular group of people who should rightfully be considered heroes in our society. The connection is a very obvious one and I'm sure I'm not being original in this at all. But it's news to me, so I've rewritten the psalm. If you're offended by this, fuck off. This isn't the blog for you.
O Public Defender, whom I praise,
do not remain silent,
for wicked and deceitful men
have opened their mouths against me;
they have spoken against me with lying tongues.
With words of hatred they surround me;
they attack me without cause.
In return for my friendship they accuse me,
but I am a man of prayer.
They repay me evil for good,
and hatred for my friendship.
They say: Appoint an evil man to oppose him;
let an accuser stand at his right hand.
When he is tried, let him be found guilty,
and may his words condemn him.
May his days be few;
may another take his place of leadership.
May his children be fatherless
and his wife a widow.
May his children be wandering beggars;
may they be driven from their ruined homes.
May a creditor seize all he has;
may strangers plunder the fruits of his labor.
May no one extend kindness to him
or take pity on his fatherless children.
May his descendants be cut off,
their names blotted out from the next generation.
May the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the public;
may the sin of his mother never be blotted out.
May their sins only remain before the public,
that we may cut off the memory of them from the earth.
For they never thought of doing a kindness,
but hounded to death the poor
and the needy and the desperate.
They love to pronounce a curse -
may a curse come on them;
they find no pleasure in blessing -
may a blessing be far from them.
They wear cursing as a garment;
it enters into their bodies like water,
into their bones like oil.
May it be like a cloak wrapped around them,
like a belt tied forever around them.
But you, O Public Defender,
deal well with me for your name's sake;
out of the goodness of your heart, 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, O Public Defender;
save me in accordance with your love.
Let them know that it is your hand,
that you, O Public Defender, have done it.
They may curse, but you will bless;
when they attack, they will be put to shame,
but your client will rejoice.
My accusers will be clothed with disgrace
and wrapped in shame as a cloak.
With my mouth I will greatly extol the Public Defender;
in the great throng I will praise him.
For he stands at the right hand of the needy one,
to save his life from those who condemn him.
Alright, so it's a little pie-in-the-sky, but maybe it'll give a PD or two a boost for the day. I love all you guys and gals (especially you. You know who you are.) and honestly do see you as heroes. Keep up the good work.
But yesterday I discovered Psalm 109.
And, considering my usual reading material and the context of the psalm itself, I couldn't help but think of a particular group of people who should rightfully be considered heroes in our society. The connection is a very obvious one and I'm sure I'm not being original in this at all. But it's news to me, so I've rewritten the psalm. If you're offended by this, fuck off. This isn't the blog for you.
O Public Defender, whom I praise,
do not remain silent,
for wicked and deceitful men
have opened their mouths against me;
they have spoken against me with lying tongues.
With words of hatred they surround me;
they attack me without cause.
In return for my friendship they accuse me,
but I am a man of prayer.
They repay me evil for good,
and hatred for my friendship.
They say: Appoint an evil man to oppose him;
let an accuser stand at his right hand.
When he is tried, let him be found guilty,
and may his words condemn him.
May his days be few;
may another take his place of leadership.
May his children be fatherless
and his wife a widow.
May his children be wandering beggars;
may they be driven from their ruined homes.
May a creditor seize all he has;
may strangers plunder the fruits of his labor.
May no one extend kindness to him
or take pity on his fatherless children.
May his descendants be cut off,
their names blotted out from the next generation.
May the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the public;
may the sin of his mother never be blotted out.
May their sins only remain before the public,
that we may cut off the memory of them from the earth.
For they never thought of doing a kindness,
but hounded to death the poor
and the needy and the desperate.
They love to pronounce a curse -
may a curse come on them;
they find no pleasure in blessing -
may a blessing be far from them.
They wear cursing as a garment;
it enters into their bodies like water,
into their bones like oil.
May it be like a cloak wrapped around them,
like a belt tied forever around them.
But you, O Public Defender,
deal well with me for your name's sake;
out of the goodness of your heart, 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, O Public Defender;
save me in accordance with your love.
Let them know that it is your hand,
that you, O Public Defender, have done it.
They may curse, but you will bless;
when they attack, they will be put to shame,
but your client will rejoice.
My accusers will be clothed with disgrace
and wrapped in shame as a cloak.
With my mouth I will greatly extol the Public Defender;
in the great throng I will praise him.
For he stands at the right hand of the needy one,
to save his life from those who condemn him.
Alright, so it's a little pie-in-the-sky, but maybe it'll give a PD or two a boost for the day. I love all you guys and gals (especially you. You know who you are.) and honestly do see you as heroes. Keep up the good work.
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