¹⁵ Let death take my enemies by surprise;^(A)
    let them go down alive to the realm of the dead,^(B)
    for evil finds lodging among them.

“‘May his place be deserted;
    let there be no one to dwell in it,’^[a](D)

“‘May another take his place of leadership.’^[b](E)

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

¹⁶ For he never thought of doing a kindness,
    but hounded to death the poor
    and the needy^(Q) and the brokenhearted.^(R)
17 He loved to pronounce a curse—
    may it come back on him.^(S)
He found no pleasure in blessing—
    may it be far from him.
¹⁸ He wore cursing^(T) as his garment;
    it entered into his body like water,^(U)
    into his bones like oil.
¹⁹ May it be like a cloak wrapped^(V) about him,
    like a belt tied forever around him.
²⁰ May this be the Lord’s payment^(W) to my accusers,
    to those who speak evil^(X) of me.

⁷ But God will shoot them with his arrows;
    they will suddenly be struck down.