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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.”

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