Psalm 109-116

New International Version

⁶ Appoint someone evil to oppose my enemy;
    let an accuser^(I) stand at his right hand.
⁷ When he is tried, let him be found guilty,^(J)
    and may his prayers condemn^(K) him.
⁸ May his days be few;^(L)
    may another take his place^(M) of leadership.
⁹ May his children be fatherless
    and his wife a widow.^(N)
10 May his children be wandering beggars;^(O)
    may they be driven^[a] from their ruined homes.
¹¹ May a creditor^(P) seize all he has;
    may strangers plunder^(Q) the fruits of his labor.^(R)
12 May no one extend kindness to him
    or take pity^(S) on his fatherless children.
¹³ May his descendants be cut off,^(T)
    their names blotted out^(U) from the next generation.
¹⁴ May the iniquity of his fathers^(V) be remembered before the Lord;
    may the sin of his mother never be blotted out.
¹⁵ May their sins always remain before^(W) the Lord,
    that he may blot out their name^(X) from the earth.

¹⁶ For he never thought of doing a kindness,
    but hounded to death the poor
    and the needy^(Y) and the brokenhearted.^(Z)
17 He loved to pronounce a curse—
    may it come back on him.^(AA)
He found no pleasure in blessing—
    may it be far from him.
¹⁸ He wore cursing^(AB) as his garment;
    it entered into his body like water,^(AC)
    into his bones like oil.
¹⁹ May it be like a cloak wrapped^(AD) about him,
    like a belt tied forever around him.
²⁰ May this be the Lord’s payment^(AE) to my accusers,
    to those who speak evil^(AF) of me.

²¹ But you, Sovereign Lord,
    help me for your name’s sake;^(AG)
    out of the goodness of your love,^(AH) deliver me.^(AI)
22 For I am poor and needy,
    and my heart is wounded within me.
²³ I fade away like an evening shadow;^(AJ)
    I am shaken off like a locust.
²⁴ My knees give^(AK) way from fasting;^(AL)
    my body is thin and gaunt.^(AM)
25 I am an object of scorn^(AN) to my accusers;
    when they see me, they shake their heads.^(AO)

²⁶ Help me,^(AP) Lord my God;
    save me according to your unfailing love.
²⁷ Let them know^(AQ) that it is your hand,
    that you, Lord, have done it.
²⁸ While they curse,^(AR) may you bless;
    may those who attack me be put to shame,
    but may your servant rejoice.^(AS)
29 May my accusers be clothed with disgrace
    and wrapped in shame^(AT) as in a cloak.

³⁰ With my mouth I will greatly extol the Lord;
    in the great throng^(AU) of worshipers I will praise him.
³¹ For he stands at the right hand^(AV) of the needy,
    to save their lives from those who would condemn them.

“Sit at my right hand^(AX)
    until I make your enemies
    a footstool for your feet.”^(AY)

² The Lord will extend your mighty scepter^(AZ) from Zion,^(BA) saying,
    “Rule^(BB) in the midst of your enemies!”
³ Your troops will be willing
    on your day of battle.
Arrayed in holy splendor,^(BC)
    your young men will come to you
    like dew from the morning’s womb.^[c](BD)

⁴ The Lord has sworn
    and will not change his mind:^(BE)
“You are a priest forever,^(BF)
    in the order of Melchizedek.^(BG)”

⁵ The Lord is at your right hand^[d];^(BH)
    he will crush kings^(BI) on the day of his wrath.^(BJ)
6 He will judge the nations,^(BK) heaping up the dead^(BL)
    and crushing the rulers^(BM) of the whole earth.
⁷ He will drink from a brook along the way,^[e]
    and so he will lift his head high.^(BN)

I will extol the Lord^(BO) with all my heart^(BP)
    in the council^(BQ) of the upright and in the assembly.^(BR)

² Great are the works^(BS) of the Lord;
    they are pondered by all^(BT) who delight in them.
³ Glorious and majestic are his deeds,
    and his righteousness endures^(BU) forever.
⁴ He has caused his wonders to be remembered;
    the Lord is gracious and compassionate.^(BV)
5 He provides food^(BW) for those who fear him;^(BX)
    he remembers his covenant^(BY) forever.

⁶ He has shown his people the power of his works,^(BZ)
    giving them the lands of other nations.^(CA)
7 The works of his hands^(CB) are faithful and just;
    all his precepts are trustworthy.^(CC)
8 They are established for ever^(CD) and ever,
    enacted in faithfulness and uprightness.
⁹ He provided redemption^(CE) for his people;
    he ordained his covenant forever—
    holy and awesome^(CF) is his name.

¹⁰ The fear of the Lord^(CG) is the beginning of wisdom;^(CH)
    all who follow his precepts have good understanding.^(CI)
    To him belongs eternal praise.^(CJ)

Blessed are those^(CL) who fear the Lord,^(CM)
    who find great delight^(CN) in his commands.

² Their children^(CO) will be mighty in the land;
    the generation of the upright will be blessed.
³ Wealth and riches^(CP) are in their houses,
    and their righteousness endures^(CQ) forever.
⁴ Even in darkness light dawns^(CR) for the upright,
    for those who are gracious and compassionate and righteous.^(CS)
5 Good will come to those who are generous and lend freely,^(CT)
    who conduct their affairs with justice.

⁶ Surely the righteous will never be shaken;^(CU)
    they will be remembered^(CV) forever.
⁷ They will have no fear of bad news;
    their hearts are steadfast,^(CW) trusting in the Lord.^(CX)
8 Their hearts are secure, they will have no fear;^(CY)
    in the end they will look in triumph on their foes.^(CZ)
9 They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor,^(DA)
    their righteousness endures^(DB) forever;
    their horn^[j] will be lifted^(DC) high in honor.

¹⁰ The wicked will see^(DD) and be vexed,
    they will gnash their teeth^(DE) and waste away;^(DF)
    the longings of the wicked will come to nothing.^(DG)

Praise the Lord, you his servants;^(DI)
    praise the name of the Lord.
² Let the name of the Lord be praised,^(DJ)
    both now and forevermore.^(DK)
3 From the rising of the sun^(DL) to the place where it sets,
    the name of the Lord is to be praised.

⁴ The Lord is exalted^(DM) over all the nations,
    his glory above the heavens.^(DN)
5 Who is like the Lord our God,^(DO)
    the One who sits enthroned^(DP) on high,^(DQ)
6 who stoops down to look^(DR)
    on the heavens and the earth?

⁷ He raises the poor^(DS) from the dust
    and lifts the needy^(DT) from the ash heap;
⁸ he seats them^(DU) with princes,
    with the princes of his people.
⁹ He settles the childless^(DV) woman in her home
    as a happy mother of children.

Praise the Lord.

³ The sea looked and fled,^(DZ)
    the Jordan turned back;^(EA)
4 the mountains leaped^(EB) like rams,
    the hills like lambs.

⁵ Why was it, sea, that you fled?^(EC)
    Why, Jordan, did you turn back?
⁶ Why, mountains, did you leap like rams,
    you hills, like lambs?

⁷ Tremble, earth,^(ED) at the presence of the Lord,
    at the presence of the God of Jacob,
⁸ who turned the rock into a pool,
    the hard rock into springs of water.^(EE)

² Why do the nations say,
    “Where is their God?”^(EI)
3 Our God is in heaven;^(EJ)
    he does whatever pleases him.^(EK)
4 But their idols are silver and gold,^(EL)
    made by human hands.^(EM)
5 They have mouths, but cannot speak,^(EN)
    eyes, but cannot see.
⁶ They have ears, but cannot hear,
    noses, but cannot smell.
⁷ They have hands, but cannot feel,
    feet, but cannot walk,
    nor can they utter a sound with their throats.
⁸ Those who make them will be like them,
    and so will all who trust in them.

⁹ All you Israelites, trust^(EO) in the Lord—
    he is their help and shield.
¹⁰ House of Aaron,^(EP) trust in the Lord—
    he is their help and shield.
¹¹ You who fear him,^(EQ) trust in the Lord—
    he is their help and shield.

¹² The Lord remembers^(ER) us and will bless us:^(ES)
    He will bless his people Israel,
    he will bless the house of Aaron,
¹³ he will bless those who fear^(ET) the Lord—
    small and great alike.

¹⁴ May the Lord cause you to flourish,^(EU)
    both you and your children.
¹⁵ May you be blessed by the Lord,
    the Maker of heaven^(EV) and earth.

¹⁶ The highest heavens belong to the Lord,^(EW)
    but the earth he has given^(EX) to mankind.
¹⁷ It is not the dead^(EY) who praise the Lord,
    those who go down to the place of silence;
¹⁸ it is we who extol the Lord,^(EZ)
    both now and forevermore.^(FA)

Praise the Lord.^[l](FB)

³ The cords of death^(FG) entangled me,
    the anguish of the grave came over me;
    I was overcome by distress and sorrow.
⁴ Then I called on the name^(FH) of the Lord:
    “Lord, save me!^(FI)”

⁵ The Lord is gracious and righteous;^(FJ)
    our God is full of compassion.^(FK)
6 The Lord protects the unwary;
    when I was brought low,^(FL) he saved me.^(FM)

⁷ Return to your rest,^(FN) my soul,
    for the Lord has been good^(FO) to you.

⁸ For you, Lord, have delivered me^(FP) from death,
    my eyes from tears,
    my feet from stumbling,
⁹ that I may walk before the Lord^(FQ)
    in the land of the living.^(FR)

¹⁰ I trusted^(FS) in the Lord when I said,
    “I am greatly afflicted”;^(FT)
11 in my alarm I said,
    “Everyone is a liar.”^(FU)

¹² What shall I return to the Lord
    for all his goodness^(FV) to me?

¹³ I will lift up the cup of salvation
    and call on the name^(FW) of the Lord.
¹⁴ I will fulfill my vows^(FX) to the Lord
    in the presence of all his people.

¹⁵ Precious in the sight^(FY) of the Lord
    is the death of his faithful servants.^(FZ)
16 Truly I am your servant, Lord;^(GA)
    I serve you just as my mother did;^(GB)
    you have freed me from my chains.^(GC)

¹⁷ I will sacrifice a thank offering^(GD) to you
    and call on the name of the Lord.
¹⁸ I will fulfill my vows^(GE) to the Lord
    in the presence of all his people,
¹⁹ in the courts^(GF) of the house of the Lord—
    in your midst, Jerusalem.^(GG)

Praise the Lord.^[m]