Psalm 109
New American Standard Bible
Vengeance Invoked upon Adversaries.
For the music director. A Psalm of David.
109 (A)God of my praise,
(B)Do not be silent!
2 For they have opened a [a]wicked and (C)deceitful mouth against me;
They have spoken [b]against me with a (D)lying tongue.
3 They have also surrounded me with words of hatred,
And have fought against me (E)without cause.
4 In return (F)for my love they act as my accusers;
But (G)I am in prayer.
5 So they have [c](H)repaid me evil for good,
And (I)hatred for my love.
6 Appoint a wicked person over him,
And may an [d](J)accuser stand at his right hand.
7 When he is judged, may he (K)come out guilty,
And may his (L)prayer become sin.
8 May (M)his days be few;
May (N)another take his office.
9 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
- Psalm 109:2 Lit wicked mouth and the deceitful
- Psalm 109:2 Lit with
- Psalm 109:5 Lit laid upon me
- Psalm 109:6 Or adversary, Satan
- Psalm 109:10 Or out of their desolate places
- Psalm 109:11 Lit ensnare, strike at
- Psalm 109:12 Lit continue
- Psalm 109:13 Lit for cutting off
- Psalm 109:14 Lit to
- Psalm 109:18 Lit his inward parts
- Psalm 109:21 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
- Psalm 109:22 Lit one has pierced my heart within me
- Psalm 109:24 Or totter
- Psalm 109:27 Or That they may know
- Psalm 109:29 Or My accusers will be
- Psalm 109:29 Or they will cover
Psalm 109
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Psalm 109
Prayer for Vindication and Vengeance
To the leader. Of David. A Psalm.
1 Do not be silent, O God of my praise.(A)
2 For wicked and deceitful mouths are opened against me,
speaking against me with lying tongues.
3 They surround me with words of hate
and attack me without cause.(B)
4 In return for my love they accuse me,
even while I make prayer for them.[a](C)
5 So they reward me evil for good
and hatred for my love.(D)
6 They say,[b] “Appoint a wicked man against him;
let an accuser stand on his right.(E)
7 When he is tried, let him be found guilty;
let his prayer be counted as sin.(F)
8 May his days be few;
may another seize his position.(G)
9 May his children be orphans
and his wife a widow.(H)
10 May his children wander about and beg;
may they be driven out of[c] the ruins they inhabit.
11 May the creditor seize all that he has;
may strangers plunder the fruits of his toil.(I)
12 May there be no one to do him a kindness
nor anyone to pity his orphaned children.(J)
13 May his posterity be cut off;
may his name be blotted out in the second generation.(K)
14 May the iniquity of his father[d] be remembered before the Lord,
and do not let the sin of his mother be blotted out.(L)
15 Let them be before the Lord continually,
and may his[e] memory be cut off from the earth.(M)
16 For he did not remember to show kindness
but pursued the poor and needy
and the brokenhearted to their death.(N)
17 He loved to curse; let curses come on him.
He did not like blessing; may it be far from him.(O)
18 He clothed himself with cursing as his coat;
may it soak into his body like water,
like oil into his bones.(P)
19 May it be like a garment that he wraps around himself,
like a belt that he wears every day.”
20 May that be the reward of my accusers from the Lord,
of those who speak evil against my life.(Q)
21 But you, O Lord my Lord,
act on my behalf for your name’s sake;
because your steadfast love is good, deliver me.(R)
22 For I am poor and needy,
and my heart is pierced within me.(S)
23 I am gone like a shadow at evening;
I am shaken off like a locust.(T)
24 My knees are weak through fasting;
my body has become gaunt.(U)
25 I am an object of scorn to my accusers;
when they see me, they shake their heads.(V)
26 Help me, O Lord my God!
Save me according to your steadfast love.
27 Let them know that this is your hand;
you, O Lord, have done it.(W)
28 Let them curse, but you will bless.
Let my assailants be put to shame;[f] may your servant be glad.(X)
29 May my accusers be clothed with dishonor;
may they be wrapped in their own shame as in a mantle.(Y)
30 With my mouth I will give great thanks to the Lord;
I will praise him in the midst of the throng.(Z)
31 For he stands at the right hand of the needy,
to save them from those who would condemn them to death.(AA)
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New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.