Add parallel Print Page Options

For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David.

109 God of my praise, don’t remain silent,
    for they have opened the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of deceit against me.
    They have spoken to me with a lying tongue.
They have also surrounded me with words of hatred,
    and fought against me without a cause.
In return for my love, they are my adversaries;
    but I am in prayer.
They have rewarded me evil for good,
    and hatred for my love.
Set a wicked man over him.
    Let an adversary stand at his right hand.
When he is judged, let him come out guilty.
    Let his prayer be turned into sin.
Let his days be few.
    Let another take his office.
Let his children be fatherless,
    and his wife a widow.
10 Let his children be wandering beggars.
    Let them be sought from their ruins.
11 Let the creditor seize all that he has.
    Let strangers plunder the fruit of his labor.
12 Let there be no one to extend kindness to him,
    neither let there be anyone to have pity on his fatherless children.
13 Let his posterity be cut off.
    In the generation following let their name be blotted out.
14 Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered by Yahweh.
    Don’t let the sin of his mother be blotted out.
15 Let them be before Yahweh continually,
    that he may cut off their memory from the earth;
16 because he didn’t remember to show kindness,
    but persecuted the poor and needy man,
    the broken in heart, to kill them.
17 Yes, he loved cursing, and it came to him.
    He didn’t delight in blessing, and it was far from him.
18 He clothed himself also with cursing as with his garment.
    It came into his inward parts like water,
    like oil into his bones.
19 Let it be to him as the clothing with which he covers himself,
    for the belt that is always around him.
20 This is the reward of my adversaries from Yahweh,
    of those who speak evil against my soul.

21 But deal with me, Yahweh the Lord,[a] for your name’s sake,
    because your loving kindness is good, deliver me;
22     for I am poor and needy.
    My heart is wounded within me.
23 I fade away like an evening shadow.
    I am shaken off like a locust.
24 My knees are weak through fasting.
    My body is thin and lacks fat.
25 I have also become a reproach to them.
    When they see me, they shake their head.
26 Help me, Yahweh, my God.
    Save me according to your loving kindness;
27 that they may know that this is your hand;
    that you, Yahweh, have done it.
28 They may curse, but you bless.
    When they arise, they will be shamed,
    but your servant shall rejoice.
29 Let my adversaries be clothed with dishonor.
    Let them cover themselves with their own shame as with a robe.
30 I will give great thanks to Yahweh with my mouth.
    Yes, I will praise him among the multitude.
31 For he will stand at the right hand of the needy,
    to save him from those who judge his soul.

Footnotes

  1. 109:21 The word translated “Lord” is “Adonai.”

Vengeance invoked upon adversaries.

For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

109 Hold not thy peace, O God of my praise;
For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of deceit have they opened against me:
They have spoken [a]unto me with a lying tongue.
They have compassed me about also with words of hatred,
And fought against me without a cause.
For my love they are my adversaries:
But I give myself unto prayer.
And they have [b]rewarded me evil for good,
And hatred for my love.
Set thou a wicked man over him;
And let [c]an adversary stand at his right hand.
When he is judged, let him come forth guilty;
And let his prayer [d]be turned into sin.
Let his days be few;
And let another take his office.
Let his children be fatherless,
And his wife a widow.
10 Let his children be vagabonds, and beg;
And let them seek their bread [e]out of their desolate places.
11 Let the extortioner [f]catch all that he hath;
And let strangers make spoil of his labor.
12 Let there be none to [g]extend kindness unto him;
Neither let there be any to have pity on his fatherless children.
13 Let his posterity be cut off;
In the generation following let their name be blotted out.
14 Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered with Jehovah;
And let not the sin of his mother be blotted out.
15 Let them be before Jehovah continually,
That he may cut off the memory of them from the earth;
16 Because he remembered not to show kindness,
But persecuted the poor and needy man,
And the broken in heart, to slay them.
17 Yea, he loved cursing, and it came unto him;
And he delighted not in blessing, and it was far from him.
18 He clothed himself also with cursing as with his garment,
And it came into his inward parts like water,
And like oil into his bones.
19 Let it be unto him as the raiment wherewith he covereth himself,
And for the girdle wherewith he is girded continually.
20 This is the reward of mine adversaries from Jehovah,
And of them that speak evil against my soul.
21 But deal thou with me, O Jehovah the Lord, for thy name’s sake:
Because thy lovingkindness is good, deliver thou me;
22 For I am poor and needy,
And my heart is wounded within me.
23 I am gone like the shadow when it [h]declineth:
I am tossed up and down as the locust.
24 My knees [i]are weak through fasting;
And my flesh faileth of fatness.
25 I am become also a reproach unto them:
When they see me, they shake their head.
26 Help me, O Jehovah my God;
Oh save me according to thy lovingkindness:
27 That they may know that this is thy hand;
That thou, Jehovah, hast done it.
28 Let them curse, but bless thou:
When they arise, they shall be put to shame,
But thy servant shall rejoice.
29 [j]Let mine adversaries be clothed with dishonor,
And let them cover themselves with their own shame as with a robe.
30 I will give great thanks unto Jehovah with my mouth;
Yea, I will praise him among the multitude.
31 For he will stand at the right hand of the needy,
To save him from them that judge his soul.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 109:2 Or, against
  2. Psalm 109:5 Hebrew laid upon me.
  3. Psalm 109:6 Or, Satan. Or, an accuser
  4. Psalm 109:7 Or, become
  5. Psalm 109:10 Or, far from
  6. Psalm 109:11 Hebrew snare.
  7. Psalm 109:12 Or, continue
  8. Psalm 109:23 Or, is stretched out
  9. Psalm 109:24 Or, totter
  10. Psalm 109:29 Or, Mine adversaries shall be clothed . . . And they shall cover etc.