Psalm 109

Psalm 109

Prayer against an Enemy

For the choir director. A Davidic psalm.

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

²For wicked and deceitful mouths open against me;

they speak against me with lying tongues. ^a

³They surround me with hateful words

and attack me without cause. ^b

⁴In return for my love they accuse me,

but I continue to pray. ^cd

⁵They repay me evil for good,

and hatred for my love. ^e

⁶Set a wicked person over him;

let an accuser ^fstand at his right hand. ^g

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

and let his prayer be counted as sin. ^h

⁸Let his days be few;

let another take over his position. ⁱ

⁹Let his children be fatherless

and his wife a widow. ^j

¹⁰Let his children wander as beggars,

searching for food far ^kfrom their demolished homes. ^l

¹¹Let a creditor seize all he has;

let strangers plunder what he has worked for. ^m

¹²Let no one show him kindness,

and let no one be gracious to his fatherless children. ⁿ

¹³Let the line of his descendants be cut off;

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

¹⁴Let his ancestors’ guilt

be remembered before the Lord, ^p

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

¹⁵Let their sins ^ralways remain before the Lord,

and let Him erase ^sall memory of them from the earth. ^t

¹⁶For he did not think to show kindness,

but pursued the afflicted, poor, and brokenhearted

in order to put them to death. ^u

¹⁷He loved cursing—let it fall on him;

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

¹⁸He wore cursing like his coat—

let it enter his body like water

and go into his bones like oil. ^w

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

like a belt he always wears. ^x

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

to those who speak evil against me. ^y

²¹But You, Yahweh my Lord,

deal kindly with me because of Your name; ^z

deliver me because of the goodness of Your faithful love. ^a

²²For I am afflicted and needy; ^b

my heart is wounded within me. ^c

²³I fade away like a lengthening shadow; ^d

I am shaken off like a locust.

²⁴My knees are weak from fasting,

and my body is emaciated. ^ef

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

when they see me, they shake their heads in scorn. ^h

²⁶Help me, Lord my God;

save me according to Your faithful love ⁱ

²⁷so they may know that this is Your hand

and that You, Lord, have done it. ^j

²⁸Though they curse, You will bless.

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

but Your servant will rejoice. ^k

²⁹My accusers will be clothed with disgrace;

they will wear their shame like a cloak. ^l

³⁰I will fervently thank the Lord with my mouth;

I will praise Him in the presence of many. ^m

³¹For He stands at the right hand of the needy

to save him from those who would condemn him. ⁿ