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Psalm 109
New International Version
Psalm 109
New International Version
Psalm 109
For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.
1 My God, whom I praise,(A)
do not remain silent,(B)
2 for people who are wicked and deceitful(C)
have opened their mouths against me;
they have spoken against me with lying tongues.(D)
3 With words of hatred(E) they surround me;
they attack me without cause.(F)
4 In return for my friendship they accuse me,
but I am a man of prayer.(G)
5 They repay me evil for good,(H)
and hatred for my friendship.
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.
Footnotes
- Psalm 109:10 Septuagint; Hebrew sought
Psalm 109
Expanded Bible
Psalm 109
Expanded Bible
A Prayer Against an Enemy
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
109 God, I praise you.
Do not be silent.
2 ·Wicked [L The mouth of evil] people and ·liars [L the mouth of deceivers] have ·spoken [L opened] against me;
they ·have told lies about me [L speak against me with lying tongues].
3 They have ·said hateful things about me [L surrounded me with hateful words]
and attack me for no reason.
4 They ·attacked [accuse; charge] me, ·even though I loved them
and prayed for them [in return for my love and prayer].
5 I was good to them, but they ·repay [reward] me with evil.
I loved them, but they hate me in return.
6 They say about me [C this added phrase suggests another speaker, or perhaps the psalmist is speaking about his accusers], “·Have an evil person work [L Appoint an evil person] against him,
and let an ·accuser [adversary] stand ·against him [L at his right hand; Job 1:6].
7 When he is judged, let him be found guilty,
and let even his prayers ·show [be counted as] his ·guilt [sin].
8 Let his ·life [L days] be ·cut short [brief],
and let another man ·replace him as leader [take his position/office; Acts 1:20].
9 Let his children become orphans
and his wife a widow [C socially vulnerable, dependent on others].
10 Make his children wander around, begging for food [Jer. 18:21].
Let them be forced out of the ruins in which they live.
11 Let ·the people to whom he owes money [creditors] ·take [ensnare] everything he owns [2 Kin. 4:1],
and let strangers ·steal [plunder] everything he has worked for.
12 Let no one ·show [extend to] him ·love [loyalty]
or have ·mercy [compassion] on his orphaned children.
13 Let all his descendants ·die [L be cut off]
and ·be forgotten [L their name be blotted/wiped out] by ·those who live after him [L a later generation].
14 Lord, ·remember how wicked his ancestors were [L let the guilt of his fathers be remembered],
and don’t let the sins of his mother be ·wiped [blotted] out.
15 ·Lord, always remember their sins [L Let them be before the Lord forever].
·Then make people forget about them completely [L Let memory of them be cut off from the land].
16 “He did not remember to be ·loving [loyal].
He ·hurt [persecuted; L pursued] the poor, the needy, and those who were ·sad [depressed; L brokenhearted]
·until they were nearly dead [L to their death].
17 He loved to put curses on others,
so let those same curses ·fall on [L come to] him.
He did not like to bless others,
so ·do not let good things happen to him [L let them (blessings) be far from him].
18 He ·cursed others as often as he wore clothes [L wore curses like a coat].
·Cursing others filled his body and his life,
like drinking water and using olive oil [L Let them come like water in his innards and like oil in his bones].
19 So let curses ·cover [wrap] him like ·clothes [a garment]
and ·wrap around him like a belt [L continually gird him].”
20 May the Lord do these things to those who ·accuse [charge] me,
to those who speak evil against me.
21 But you, Lord God,
·be kind to me so others will know you are good [L act on my behalf for the sake of your name].
Because your ·love [loyalty] is good, ·save [protect] me.
22 I am poor and helpless
and ·very sad [L my heart is pierced/wounded in me].
23 I am ·dying [L gone] like an evening shadow;
I am shaken off like a locust.
24 My knees ·are weak [buckle; stumble] from fasting,
and ·I have grown thin [L my flesh is lean of fat].
25 ·My enemies insult me [L I am a reproach to them];
they look at me and shake their heads [C in scorn].
26 Lord my God, help me;
because you are ·loving [loyal], ·save me [give me victory].
27 Then they will know that ·your power has done this [L this is your hand];
they will know that you have done it, Lord.
28 They may curse me, but you bless me.
They may ·attack [L rise against] me, but they will be ·disgraced [embarrassed].
Then I, your servant, will be glad.
29 Let those who ·accuse [charge; attack] me be ·disgraced [L clothed with disgrace]
and ·covered [wrapped up] with shame like a coat.
30 I will ·thank [praise] the Lord very much [L with my mouth];
I will praise him in ·front [the midst] of many people.
31 He ·defends [L stands at the right hand of] the helpless
and ·saves them from [gives them victory over] those who ·accuse [judge] them.
Psalm 109
International Children’s Bible
Psalm 109
International Children’s Bible
A Prayer Against an Enemy
For the director of music. A song of David.
109 God, I praise you.
Do not be silent.
2 Wicked people and liars have spoken against me.
They have told lies about me.
3 They have said hateful things about me.
They attack me for no reason.
4 They attacked me, even though I loved them
and prayed for them.
5 I was good to them, but they repay me with evil.
I loved them, but they hate me in return.
6 They say about me, “Have the Evil One work against him.
Let the devil accuse him.
7 When he is judged, let him be found guilty.
Let even his prayers show that he is guilty.
8 Let his life be cut short.
Let another man replace him as leader.
9 Let his children become orphans.
Let his wife become a widow.
10 Make his children wander around, begging for food.
Let them be forced out of the ruins they live in.
11 Let the people he owes money to take everything he owns.
Let strangers steal everything he has worked for.
12 Let no one show him love.
Let no one have mercy on his children.
13 Let all his descendants die.
Let him be forgotten by people who live after him.
14 Let the Lord remember how wicked his ancestors were.
Don’t let the sins of his mother be wiped out.
15 Let the Lord always remember their sins.
Then he will make people forget about them completely.
16 “He did not remember to be loving.
He hurt the poor, the needy and those who were sad
until they were nearly dead.
17 He loved to put curses on others.
So let those same curses fall on him.
He did not like to bless others.
So do not let good things happen to him.
18 He cursed others as often as he wore clothes.
Cursing others filled his body and his life,
like drinking water and using olive oil.
19 So let curses cover him like clothes.
Let them wrap around him like a belt.”
20 May the Lord do these things to those who accuse me,
to those who speak evil against me.
21 But you, Lord God,
be kind to me so others will know you are good.
Because your love is good, save me.
22 I am poor and helpless.
And I am very sad.
23 I am dying like an evening shadow.
I am shaken off like a locust.
24 My knees are weak from hunger.
I have become thin.
25 My enemies insult me.
They look at me and shake their heads.
26 Lord my God, help me.
Because you are loving, save me.
27 Then they will know that you have saved me.
They will know it was your power, Lord.
28 They may curse me, but you bless me.
They may attack me, but they will be disgraced.
Then I, your servant, will be glad.
29 Let those who accuse me be disgraced.
Let them be covered with shame like a coat.
30 I will thank the Lord very much.
I will praise him in front of many people.
31 He defends the helpless.
He saved me from those who accuse me.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
Expanded Bible (EXB)
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.
International Children’s Bible (ICB) 
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.