Psalm 109

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