Psalm 109–111

A Prayer Against an Enemy

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

109God, I praise you.

Do not be silent.

²Wicked people and liars have spoken against me;

they have told lies about me.

³They have said hateful things about me

and attack me for no reason.

⁴They attacked me, even though I loved them

and prayed for them.

⁵I was good to them, but they repay me with evil.

I loved them, but they hate me in return.

⁶They say about me, “Have an evil person work against him,

and let an accuser stand against him.

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

and let even his prayers show his guilt.

⁸Let his life be cut short,

and let another man replace him as leader.

⁹Let his children become orphans

and his wife a widow.

¹⁰Make his children wander around, begging for food.

Let them be forced out of the ruins in which they live.

¹¹Let the people to whom he owes money take everything he owns,

and let strangers steal everything he has worked for.

¹²Let no one show him love

or have mercy on his orphaned children.

¹³Let all his descendants die

and be forgotten by those who live after him.

¹⁴Lord, remember how wicked his ancestors were,

and don’t let the sins of his mother be wiped out.

¹⁵Lord, always remember their sins.

Then make people forget about them completely.

¹⁶“He did not remember to be loving.

He hurt the poor, the needy, and those who were sad

until they were nearly dead.

¹⁷He loved to put curses on others,

so let those same curses fall on him.

He did not like to bless others,

so do not let good things happen to him.

¹⁸He cursed others as often as he wore clothes.

Cursing others filled his body and his life,

like drinking water and using olive oil.

¹⁹So let curses cover him like clothes

and wrap around him like a belt.”

²⁰May the Lord do these things to those who accuse me,

to those who speak evil against me.

²¹But you, Lord God,

be kind to me so others will know you are good.

Because your love is good, save me.

²²I am poor and helpless

and very sad.

²³I am dying like an evening shadow;

I am shaken off like a locust.

²⁴My knees are weak from fasting,

and I have grown thin.

²⁵My enemies insult me;

they look at me and shake their heads.

²⁶Lord my God, help me;

because you are loving, save me.

²⁷Then they will know that your power has done this;

they will know that you have done it, Lord.

²⁸They may curse me, but you bless me.

They may attack me, but they will be disgraced.

Then I, your servant, will be glad.

²⁹Let those who accuse me be disgraced

and covered with shame like a coat.

³⁰I will thank the Lord very much;

I will praise him in front of many people.

³¹He defends the helpless

and saves them from those who accuse them.

The Lord Appoints a King

A psalm of David.

110The Lord said to my Lord,

“Sit by me at my right side

until I put your enemies under your control.”

²The Lord will enlarge your kingdom beyond Jerusalem,

and you will rule over your enemies.

³Your people will join you on your day of battle.

You have been dressed in holiness from birth;

you have the freshness of a child.

⁴The Lord has made a promise

and will not change his mind.

He said, “You are a priest forever,

a priest like Melchizedek.”

⁵The Lord is beside you to help you.

When he becomes angry, he will crush kings.

⁶He will judge those nations, filling them with dead bodies;

he will defeat rulers all over the world.

⁷The king will drink from the brook on the way.

Then he will be strengthened.

Praise the Lord’s Goodness

111Praise the Lord!

I will thank the Lord with all my heart

in the meeting of his good people.

²The Lord does great things;

those who enjoy them seek them.

³What he does is glorious and splendid,

and his goodness continues forever.

⁴His miracles are unforgettable.

The Lord is kind and merciful.

⁵He gives food to those who fear him.

He remembers his agreement forever.

⁶He has shown his people his power

when he gave them the lands of other nations.

⁷Everything he does is good and fair;

all his orders can be trusted.

⁸They will continue forever.

They were made true and right.

⁹He sets his people free.

He made his agreement everlasting.

He is holy and wonderful.

¹⁰Wisdom begins with respect for the Lord;

those who obey his orders have good understanding.

He should be praised forever.