Psalm 109–111

Psalm 109

PRAYER AGAINST AN ENEMY

For the choir director. A psalm of David.

¹God of my praise, do not be silent.^ac

²For wicked and deceitful mouths open against me;

they speak against me with lying tongues.^ad

³They surround me with hateful words

and attack me without cause.^ae

⁴In return for my love they accuse me,

but I continue to pray.^Baf

⁵They repay me evil for good,

and hatred for my love.^ag

⁶Set a wicked person over him;

let an accuser^C stand at his right hand.^ah

⁷When he is judged, let him be found guilty,

and let his prayer be counted as sin.^ai

⁸Let his days be few;

let another take over his position.^aj

⁹Let his children be fatherless

and his wife a widow.^ak

¹⁰Let his children wander as beggars,

searching for food far^D from their demolished homes.^al

¹¹Let a creditor seize all he has;

let strangers plunder what he has worked for.^am

¹²Let no one show him kindness,

and let no one be gracious to his fatherless children.^an

¹³Let the line of his descendants be cut off;

let their name be blotted out in the next generation.^ao

¹⁴Let the iniquity of his fathers

be remembered before the Lord,^ap

and do not let his mother’s sin be blotted out.^a

¹⁵Let their sins^A always remain before the Lord,

and let him remove^B all memory of them from the earth.^b

¹⁶For he did not think to show kindness,

but pursued the suffering, needy, and brokenhearted

in order to put them to death.^c

¹⁷He loved cursing—let it fall on him;

he took no delight in blessing—let it be far from him.^d

¹⁸He wore cursing like his coat—

let it enter his body like water

and go into his bones like oil.^e

¹⁹Let it be like a robe he wraps around himself,

like a belt he always wears.^f

²⁰Let this be the Lord’s payment to my accusers,

to those who speak evil against me.^g

²¹But you, Lord, my Lord,

deal kindly with me for your name’s sake;^h

because your faithful love is good, rescue me.ⁱ

²²For I am suffering and needy;^j

my heart is wounded within me.^k

²³I fade away like a lengthening shadow;^l

I am shaken off like a locust.

²⁴My knees are weak from fasting,

and my body is emaciated.^Cm

²⁵I have become an object of ridicule to my accusers;^D

when they see me, they shake their heads in scorn.ⁿ

²⁶Help me, Lord my God;

save me according to your faithful love^o

²⁷so they may know that this is your hand

and that you, Lord, have done it.^p

²⁸Though they curse, you will bless.

When they rise up, they will be put to shame,

but your servant will rejoice.^q

²⁹My accusers will be clothed with disgrace;

they will wear their shame like a cloak.^r

³⁰I will fervently thank the Lord with my mouth;

I will praise him in the presence of many.^s

³¹For he stands at the right hand of the needy

to save him from those who would condemn him.^t

Psalm 110

THE PRIESTLY KING

A psalm of David.

¹This is the declaration of the Lord to my Lord:

“Sit at my right hand

until I make your enemies your footstool.”^u

²The Lord will extend your mighty scepter from Zion.

Rule^A over your surrounding^B enemies.^v

³Your people will volunteer

on your day of battle.^Cw

In holy splendor, from the womb of the dawn,

the dew of your youth belongs to you.^Dx

⁴The Lord has sworn an oath and will not take it back:

“You are a priest forever

according to the pattern of Melchizedek.”^y

⁵The Lord is at your right hand;

he will crush kings on the day of his anger.^z

⁶He will judge the nations, heaping up corpses;^aa

he will crush leaders over the entire world.^ab

⁷He will drink from the brook by the road;^ac

therefore, he will lift up his head.^ad

Psalm 111

PRAISE FOR THE LORD’S WORKS

¹Hallelujah!^E

I will praise the Lord with all my heart

in the assembly of the upright and in the congregation.^ae

²The Lord’s works are great,

studied by all who delight in them.^af

³All that he does is splendid and majestic;^a

his righteousness endures forever.^b

⁴He has caused his wondrous works to be remembered.^c

The Lord is gracious and compassionate.^d

⁵He has provided food for those who fear him;^e

he remembers his covenant forever.^f

⁶He has shown his people the power of his works

by giving them the inheritance of the nations.^g

⁷The works of his hands are truth and justice;

all his instructions are trustworthy.^h

⁸They are established forever and ever,

enacted in truth and in uprightness.ⁱ

⁹He has sent redemption to his people.^j

He has ordained his covenant forever.

His name is holy and awe-inspiring.^k

¹⁰The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;^l

all who follow his instructions^F have good insight.^m

His praise endures forever.ⁿ