Psalm 109

For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.

My God, whom I praise,(A)
    do not remain silent,(B)
for people who are wicked and deceitful(C)
    have opened their mouths against me;
    they have spoken against me with lying tongues.(D)
With words of hatred(E) they surround me;
    they attack me without cause.(F)
In return for my friendship they accuse me,
    but I am a man of prayer.(G)
They repay me evil for good,(H)
    and hatred for my friendship.

Appoint someone evil to oppose my enemy;
    let an accuser(I) stand at his right hand.
When he is tried, let him be found guilty,(J)
    and may his prayers condemn(K) him.
May his days be few;(L)
    may another take his place(M) of leadership.
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.

30 With my mouth I will greatly extol the Lord;
    in the great throng(AU) of worshipers I will praise him.
31 For he stands at the right hand(AV) of the needy,
    to save their lives from those who would condemn them.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 109:10 Septuagint; Hebrew sought

Psalm 109

Prayer for Vindication and Vengeance

To the leader. Of David. A Psalm.

Do not be silent, O God of my praise.(A)
For wicked and deceitful mouths are opened against me,
    speaking against me with lying tongues.
They surround me with words of hate
    and attack me without cause.(B)
In return for my love they accuse me,
    even while I make prayer for them.[a](C)
So they reward me evil for good
    and hatred for my love.(D)

They say,[b] “Appoint a wicked man against him;
    let an accuser stand on his right.(E)
When he is tried, let him be found guilty;
    let his prayer be counted as sin.(F)
May his days be few;
    may another seize his position.(G)
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)

Footnotes

  1. 109.4 Syr: Heb I prayer
  2. 109.6 Heb lacks They say
  3. 109.10 Gk: Heb may they seek
  4. 109.14 Cn: Heb fathers
  5. 109.15 Gk: Heb their
  6. 109.28 Gk: Heb They have risen up and have been put to shame