Vengeance Invoked upon Adversaries.

For the music director. A Psalm of David.

109 (A)God of my praise,
(B)Do not be silent!
For they have opened a [a]wicked and (C)deceitful mouth against me;
They have spoken [b]against me with a (D)lying tongue.
They have also surrounded me with words of hatred,
And have fought against me (E)without cause.
In return (F)for my love they act as my accusers;
But (G)I am in prayer.
So they have [c](H)repaid me evil for good,
And (I)hatred for my love.

Appoint a wicked person over him,
And may an [d](J)accuser stand at his right hand.
When he is judged, may he (K)come out guilty,
And may his (L)prayer become sin.
May (M)his days be few;
May (N)another take his office.
May his (O)children be fatherless,
And his (P)wife a widow.
10 May his (Q)children wander about and beg;
And may they (R)seek sustenance [e]far from their ruined homes.
11 May (S)the creditor [f]seize everything that he has,
And may (T)strangers plunder the product of his labor.
12 May there be none to [g](U)extend kindness to him,
Nor (V)any to be gracious to his fatherless children.
13 May his (W)descendants be [h]eliminated;
May their (X)name be wiped out in a following generation.

14 May (Y)the guilt of his fathers be remembered [i]before the Lord,
And do not let the sin of his mother be (Z)wiped out.
15 May (AA)they be before the Lord continually,
So that He may (AB)eliminate their memory from the earth;
16 Because he did not remember to show mercy,
But persecuted the (AC)afflicted and needy person,
And the (AD)despondent in heart, to (AE)put them to death.
17 He also loved cursing, so (AF)it came to him;
And he did not delight in blessing, so it was far from him.
18 But he (AG)clothed himself with cursing as with his garment,
And it (AH)entered [j]his body like water,
And like oil into his bones.
19 May it be to him as (AI)a garment with which he covers himself,
And as a belt which he constantly (AJ)wears around himself.
20 May this be the (AK)reward of my accusers from the Lord,
And of those who (AL)speak evil against my soul.

21 But You, [k]God, the Lord, deal kindly with me (AM)for the sake of Your name;
Because (AN)Your mercy is good, rescue me;
22 For (AO)I am afflicted and needy,
And [l]my heart is (AP)wounded within me.
23 I am passing (AQ)like a shadow when it lengthens;
I am shaken off (AR)like the locust.
24 My (AS)knees [m]are weak from (AT)fasting,
And my flesh has grown lean, without fatness.
25 I also have become a (AU)disgrace to them;
When they see me, they (AV)shake their head.

26 (AW)Help me, Lord my God;
Save me according to Your mercy.
27 [n]And may they (AX)know that this is Your hand;
You, Lord, have done it.
28 (AY)They will curse, but You bless;
When they arise, they will be ashamed,
But Your (AZ)servant will be glad.
29 [o]May (BA)my accusers be clothed with dishonor,
And [p]may they (BB)cover themselves with their own shame as with a robe.

30 With my mouth I will give thanks abundantly to the Lord;
And (BC)I will praise Him in the midst of many.
31 For He stands (BD)at the right hand of the needy,
To save him from those who (BE)judge his soul.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 109:2 Lit wicked mouth and the deceitful
  2. Psalm 109:2 Lit with
  3. Psalm 109:5 Lit laid upon me
  4. Psalm 109:6 Or adversary, Satan
  5. Psalm 109:10 Or out of their desolate places
  6. Psalm 109:11 Lit ensnare, strike at
  7. Psalm 109:12 Lit continue
  8. Psalm 109:13 Lit for cutting off
  9. Psalm 109:14 Lit to
  10. Psalm 109:18 Lit his inward parts
  11. Psalm 109:21 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
  12. Psalm 109:22 Lit one has pierced my heart within me
  13. Psalm 109:24 Or totter
  14. Psalm 109:27 Or That they may know
  15. Psalm 109:29 Or My accusers will be
  16. Psalm 109:29 Or they will cover

109 1-5 My God, don’t turn a deaf ear to my hallelujah prayer.
    Liars are pouring out invective on me;
Their lying tongues are like a pack of dogs out to get me,
    barking their hate, nipping my heels—and for no reason!
I loved them and now they slander me—yes, me!—
    and treat my prayer like a crime;
They return my good with evil,
    they return my love with hate.

6-20 Send the Evil One to accuse my accusing judge;
    dispatch Satan to prosecute him.
When he’s judged, let the verdict be “Guilty,”
    and when he prays, let his prayer turn to sin.
Give him a short life,
    and give his job to somebody else.
Make orphans of his children,
    dress his wife in widow’s black;
Turn his children into begging street urchins,
    evicted from their homes—homeless.
May the bank foreclose and wipe him out,
    and strangers, like vultures, pick him clean.
May there be no one around to help him out,
    no one willing to give his orphans a break.
Chop down his family tree
    so that nobody even remembers his name.
But erect a memorial to the sin of his father,
    and make sure his mother’s name is there, too—
Their sins recorded forever before God,
    but they themselves sunk in oblivion.
That’s all he deserves since he was never once kind,
    hounded the afflicted and heartbroken to their graves.
Since he loved cursing so much,
    let curses rain down;
Since he had no taste for blessing,
    let blessings flee far from him.
He dressed up in curses like a fine suit of clothes;
    he drank curses, took his baths in curses.
So give him a gift—a costume of curses;
    he can wear curses every day of the week!
That’s what they’ll get, those out to get me—
    an avalanche of just deserts from God.

21-25 Oh, God, my Lord, step in;
    work a miracle for me—you can do it!
Get me out of here—your love is so great!—
    I’m at the end of my rope, my life in ruins.
I’m fading away to nothing, passing away,
    my youth gone, old before my time.
I’m weak from hunger and can hardly stand up,
    my body a rack of skin and bones.
I’m a joke in poor taste to those who see me;
    they take one look and shake their heads.

26-29 Help me, oh help me, God, my God,
    save me through your wonderful love;
Then they’ll know that your hand is in this,
    that you, God, have been at work.
Let them curse all they want;
    you do the blessing.
Let them be jeered by the crowd when they stand up,
    followed by cheers for me, your servant.
Dress my accusers in clothes dirty with shame,
    discarded and humiliating old ragbag clothes.

30-31 My mouth’s full of great praise for God,
    I’m singing his hallelujahs surrounded by crowds,
For he’s always at hand to take the side of the needy,
    to rescue a life from the unjust judge.

For the choir director; a psalm by David.

109 O God, whom I praise, do not turn a deaf ear to me.
Wicked and deceitful people have opened their mouths against me.
They speak against me with lying tongues.
They surround me with hateful words.
They fight against me for no reason.
In return for my love, they accuse me,
but I pray for them.[a]
They reward me with evil instead of good
and with hatred instead of love.

⌞I said,⌟ “Appoint the evil one to oppose him.
Let Satan stand beside him.
When he stands trial,
let him be found guilty.
Let his prayer be considered sinful.
Let his days be few ⌞in number⌟.
Let someone else take his position.

“Let his children become fatherless and his wife a widow.
10 Let his children wander around and beg.
Let them seek help far from their ruined homes.
11 Let a creditor take everything he owns.
Let strangers steal what he has worked for.
12 Let no one be kind to him anymore.
Let no one show any pity to his fatherless children.
13 Let his descendants be cut off
and their family name be wiped out by the next generation.
14 Let the Lord remember the guilt of his ancestors
and not wipe out his mother’s sin.
15 Let their guilt and sin always remain on record
in front of the Lord.
Let the Lord remove every memory of him [b] from the earth,
16 because he did not remember to be kind.

“He drove oppressed, needy,
and brokenhearted people to their graves.
17 He loved to put curses ⌞on others⌟,
so he, too, was cursed.
He did not like to bless ⌞others⌟,
so he never received a blessing.
18 He wore cursing as though it were clothing,
so cursing entered his body like water
and his bones like oil.
19 Let cursing be his clothing,
a belt he always wears.”

20 This is how the Lord rewards those who accuse me,
those who say evil things against me.

21 O Lord Almighty, deal with me out of the goodness of your name.
Rescue me because of your mercy.
22 I am oppressed and needy.
I can feel the pain in my heart.
23 I fade away like a lengthening shadow.
I have been shaken off like a grasshopper.
24 My knees give way because I have been fasting.
My body has become lean, without any fat.
25 I have become the victim of my enemies’ insults.
They look at me and shake their heads.
26 Help me, O Lord my God.
Save me because of your mercy.
27 Then they will know that this is your doing,
that you, O Lord, are the one who saved me.
28 They may curse, but you will bless.
Let those who attack me be ashamed,
but let me rejoice.
29 Let those who accuse me wear disgrace as though it were clothing.
Let them be wrapped in their shame as though it were a robe.

30 With my mouth I will give many thanks to the Lord.
I will praise him among many people,
31 because he stands beside needy people
to save them from those who would condemn them to death.

Footnotes

  1. 109:4 Or “but I am a man of prayer.”
  2. 109:15 Or “them.”

Oración pidiendo venganza

Para el director del coro. Salmo de David.

109 Oh Dios de mi alabanza(A),
No calles(B).
Porque contra mí han abierto su boca impía y engañosa(C);
Con lengua mentirosa han hablado contra mí(D).
Me han rodeado también con palabras de odio,
Y sin causa han luchado contra mí(E).
En pago de mi amor(F), obran como mis acusadores,
Pero yo oro(G).
Así me han pagado mal por bien(H),
Y odio por mi amor(I).

Pon a un impío sobre él,
Y que un acusador[a] esté a su diestra(J).
Cuando sea juzgado, salga culpable(K),
Y su oración se convierta en pecado(L).
Sean pocos sus días(M),
Y que otro tome su cargo(N).
Sean huérfanos sus hijos(O),
Y viuda su mujer(P).
10 Vaguen errantes sus hijos, y mendiguen(Q),
Y busquen el sustento lejos de sus hogares en ruinas(R).
11 Que el acreedor(S) se apodere de todo lo que tiene,
Y extraños(T) saqueen el fruto de su trabajo.
12 Que no haya quien le extienda misericordia(U),
Ni haya quien se apiade de sus huérfanos(V).
13 Sea exterminada su posteridad(W),
Su nombre sea borrado en la siguiente generación(X).

14 Sea recordada ante el Señor la iniquidad de sus padres(Y),
Y no sea borrado el pecado de su madre(Z).
15 Estén continuamente delante del Señor(AA),
Para que Él corte de la tierra su memoria(AB);
16 Porque él no se acordó de mostrar misericordia,
Sino que persiguió al afligido, al necesitado(AC)
Y al de corazón decaído para matarlos(AD).
17 También amaba la maldición, y esta vino sobre él(AE);
No se deleitó en la bendición, y ella se alejó de él.
18 Se vistió de maldición(AF) como si fuera su manto,
Y entró como agua en su cuerpo(AG)
Y como aceite en sus huesos.
19 Séale como vestidura con que se cubra(AH),
Y por cinto con que se ciña siempre(AI).
20 Sea esta la paga del Señor para mis acusadores(AJ),
Y para los que hablan mal contra mi alma(AK).

21 Pero Tú, oh Dios, Señor, por amor de Tu nombre(AL) hazme bien;
Líbrame, pues es buena Tu misericordia(AM);
22 Porque afligido y necesitado estoy(AN),
Y mi corazón está herido dentro de mí(AO).
23 Voy pasando como sombra que se alarga(AP);
Soy sacudido como la langosta(AQ).
24 Mis rodillas(AR) están débiles por el ayuno(AS),
Y mi carne sin gordura ha enflaquecido.
25 Me he convertido también en objeto de oprobio para ellos(AT);
Cuando me ven, menean la cabeza(AU).

26 Ayúdame(AV), Señor, Dios mío,
Sálvame conforme a Tu misericordia;
27 Y que sepan que esta es Tu mano(AW),
Que Tú, Señor, lo has hecho.
28 Maldigan ellos(AX), pero Tú bendice;
Cuando se levanten, serán avergonzados,
Pero Tu siervo se alegrará(AY).
29 Sean vestidos de oprobio mis acusadores(AZ),
Y cúbranse con su propia vergüenza como con un manto(BA).

30 Con mi boca daré abundantes gracias al Señor,
Y en medio de la multitud lo alabaré(BB).
31 Porque Él está a la diestra del pobre(BC),
Para salvarlo de los que juzgan su alma(BD).

Footnotes

  1. Salmos 109:6 O adversario, heb. Satán.