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O God, Do Not Be Silent

For the choir director. Of David. A Psalm.

109 O (A)God of my praise,
(B)Do not be silent!
For they have opened a wicked mouth and a (C)deceitful mouth against me;
They have spoken to me with a (D)lying tongue.
They have also surrounded me with words of hatred,
And fought against me (E)without cause.
In return (F)for my love they accuse me;
But (G)I am in prayer.
Thus they have (H)set upon me evil for good
And (I)hatred for my love.

Appoint a wicked man over him,
And let an [a](J)accuser stand at his right hand.
When he is judged, let him (K)come forth a wicked man,
And let his (L)prayer become sin.
Let (M)his days be few;
Let (N)another take his office.
Let his (O)sons be orphans
And his (P)wife a widow.
10 Let his (Q)sons wander aimlessly and beg;
And let them (R)search for food [b]from their ruined homes.
11 Let (S)the creditor [c]seize all that he has,
And let (T)strangers plunder the fruit of his labor.
12 Let there be none to [d](U)extend lovingkindness to him,
And (V)let there be none to be gracious to his orphans.
13 Let those who (W)follow him be [e]cut off;
In a following generation let their (X)name be blotted out.

14 Let (Y)the iniquity of his fathers be remembered [f]before Yahweh,
And let not the sin of his mother be (Z)blotted out.
15 Let (AA)them be before Yahweh continually,
That He may (AB)cut off their memory from the earth;
16 Because he did not remember to show lovingkindness,
But persecuted the (AC)afflicted, the needy man,
And the (AD)disheartened 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 his garment,
And it (AH)came into his inward parts like water
And like oil into his bones.
19 Let it be to him as (AI)a garment with which he wraps himself,
And for a belt with which he constantly (AJ)girds himself.
20 This is the (AK)reward of my accusers from Yahweh,
And of those who (AL)speak evil against my soul.

21 But as for You, O Yahweh, O Lord, deal with me (AM)for Your name’s sake;
Because (AN)Your lovingkindness is good, deliver me;
22 For (AO)I am afflicted and needy,
And [g]my heart is (AP)pierced within me.
23 I am passing (AQ)like a shadow when it is stretched out;
I am shaken off (AR)like the locust.
24 My (AS)knees are feeble from (AT)fasting,
And my flesh has grown lean, without fatness.
25 As for me, I have become a (AU)reproach to them;
They see me, they (AV)wag their head.

26 (AW)Help me, O Yahweh my God;
Save me according to Your lovingkindness.
27 [h]And let them (AX)know that this is Your hand;
You, O Yahweh, have done it.
28 (AY)Let them curse, but You bless;
They arise and will be put to shame,
But Your (AZ)slave shall be glad.
29 [i]Let (BA)my accusers be clothed with dishonor,
And [j]let them (BB)wrap themselves with their own shame as with a robe.

30 With my mouth I will give thanks abundantly to Yahweh;
And in the midst of many (BC)I will praise Him.
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 109:6 Or adversary, Satan
  2. Psalm 109:10 Or out of their waste places
  3. Psalm 109:11 Lit ensnare, strike at
  4. Psalm 109:12 Lit continue
  5. Psalm 109:13 Lit for cutting off
  6. Psalm 109:14 Lit to
  7. Psalm 109:22 Lit one has pierced my heart within me
  8. Psalm 109:27 Or That they may know
  9. Psalm 109:29 Or My accusers will be
  10. Psalm 109:29 Or they will cover

Plea for Judgment of False Accusers

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

109 Do(A) not keep silent,
O God of my praise!
For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful
Have opened against me;
They have spoken against me with a (B)lying tongue.
They have also surrounded me with words of hatred,
And fought against me (C)without a cause.
In return for my love they are my accusers,
But I give myself to prayer.
Thus (D)they have rewarded me evil for good,
And hatred for my love.

Set a wicked man over him,
And let (E)an [a]accuser stand at his right hand.
When he is judged, let him be found guilty,
And (F)let his prayer become sin.
Let his days be (G)few,
And (H)let another take his office.
(I)Let his children be fatherless,
And his wife a widow.
10 Let his children [b]continually be vagabonds, and beg;
Let them [c]seek their bread also from their desolate places.
11 (J)Let the creditor seize all that he has,
And let strangers plunder his labor.
12 Let there be none to extend mercy to him,
Nor let there be any to favor his fatherless children.
13 (K)Let his [d]posterity be cut off,
And in the generation following let their (L)name be blotted out.

14 (M)Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the Lord,
And let not the sin of his mother (N)be blotted out.
15 Let them be continually before the Lord,
That He may (O)cut off the memory of them from the earth;
16 Because he did not remember to show mercy,
But persecuted the poor and needy man,
That he might even slay the (P)broken in heart.
17 (Q)As he loved cursing, so let it come to him;
As he did not delight in blessing, so let it be far from him.
18 As he clothed himself with cursing as with his garment,
So let it (R)enter his body like water,
And like oil into his bones.
19 Let it be to him like the garment which covers him,
And for a belt with which he girds himself continually.
20 Let this be the Lord’s reward to my accusers,
And to those who speak evil against my person.

21 But You, O God the Lord,
Deal with me for Your name’s sake;
Because Your mercy is good, deliver me.
22 For I am poor and needy,
And my heart is wounded within me.
23 I am gone (S)like a shadow when it lengthens;
I am shaken off like a locust.
24 My (T)knees are weak through fasting,
And my flesh is feeble from lack of fatness.
25 I also have become (U)a reproach to them;
When they look at me, (V)they shake their heads.

26 Help me, O Lord my God!
Oh, save me according to Your mercy,
27 (W)That they may know that this is Your hand—
That You, Lord, have done it!
28 (X)Let them curse, but You bless;
When they arise, let them be ashamed,
But let (Y)Your servant rejoice.
29 (Z)Let my accusers be clothed with shame,
And let them cover themselves with their own disgrace as with a mantle.

30 I will greatly praise the Lord with my mouth;
Yes, (AA)I will praise Him among the multitude.
31 For (AB)He shall stand at the right hand of the poor,
To save him from those [e]who condemn him.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 109:6 Heb. satan
  2. Psalm 109:10 wander continuously
  3. Psalm 109:10 So with MT, Tg.; LXX, Vg. be cast out
  4. Psalm 109:13 descendants be destroyed
  5. Psalm 109:31 Lit. judging his soul