Psalm 109–111

Psalm 109

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

¹God, I praise you.

Don’t remain silent.

²Sinful people who lie and cheat have spoken against me.

They have used their tongues to tell lies about me.

³They gather all around me with their words of hatred.

They attack me without any reason.

⁴They bring charges against me,

even though I love them

and pray for them.

⁵They pay me back with evil for the good things I do.

They pay back my love with hatred.

⁶Appoint an evil person to take my enemies to court.

Let him stand at their right hand and bring charges against them.

⁷When they are tried, let them be found guilty.

May even their prayers judge them.

⁸May their days be few.

Let others take their places as leaders.

⁹May their children’s fathers die.

May their wives become widows.

¹⁰May their children be driven from their destroyed homes.

May they wander around like beggars.

¹¹May everything those people own be taken away to pay for what they owe.

May strangers rob them of everything they’ve worked for.

¹²May no one be kind to them

or take pity on the children they leave behind.

¹³May their family line come to an end.

May their names be forgotten by those who live after them.

¹⁴May the Lord remember the evil things their fathers have done.

May he never erase the sins of their mothers.

¹⁵May the Lord never forget their sins.

Then he won’t let people remember those sinners anymore.

¹⁶They never thought about doing anything kind.

Instead, they drove those who were poor and needy to their deaths.

They did the same thing to those whose hearts were broken.

¹⁷They loved to call down curses on others.

May their curses come back on them.

They didn’t find any pleasure in giving anyone their blessing.

May no blessing ever come to them.

¹⁸They called down curses on others as easily as they put on clothes.

Cursing was as natural to them as getting a drink of water

or putting olive oil on their bodies.

¹⁹May their curses cover them like coats.

May their curses be wrapped around them like a belt forever.

²⁰May that be the Lord’s way of paying back

those who bring charges against me.

May it happen to those who say

evil things about me.

²¹But Lord and King,

be true to your name. Treat me well.

Because your love is so good, save me.

²²I am poor and needy.

My heart is wounded deep down inside me.

²³I fade away like an evening shadow.

I’m like a locust that someone brushes off.

²⁴My knees are weak because I’ve gone without food.

My body is very thin.

²⁵Those who bring charges against me laugh at me.

When they see me, they shake their heads at me.

²⁶Lord my God, help me.

Save me because you love me.

²⁷Lord, let my enemies know that you yourself have saved me.

You have done it with your own hand.

²⁸They may call down a curse on me.

But you will give me your blessing.

When they attack me, they will be put to shame.

But I will be filled with joy.

²⁹Those who bring charges against me will be clothed with dishonor.

They will be wrapped in shame as if it were a coat.

³⁰With my mouth I will continually praise the Lord.

I will praise him when all of his people gather for worship.

³¹He stands ready to help those who need it.

He saves them from those who have sentenced them to death.

Psalm 110

A psalm of David.

¹The Lord says to my Lord,

“Sit at my right hand

until I put your enemies

under your control.”

²The Lord will make your royal authority spread out from Zion to other lands.

You will rule over your enemies who are all around you.

³Your troops will be willing to fight for you

on the day of battle.

You will be wrapped in holy majesty.

Just as the dew falls fresh early in the morning,

you will always be young and strong.

⁴The Lord has taken an oath and made a promise.

He will not change his mind.

He has said, “You are a priest forever,

just like Melchizedek.”

⁵The Lord is at your right hand.

He will crush kings on the day when he is angry.

⁶He will judge the nations. He will pile up dead bodies on the field of battle.

He will crush the rulers of the whole earth.

⁷He will drink from a brook along the way and receive new strength.

And so he will win the battle.

Psalm 111

¹Praise the Lord.

I will praise the Lord with all my heart.

I will praise him where honest people gather for worship.

²The Lord has done great things.

All who take delight in what he has done will spend time thinking about it.

³What he does shows his glory and majesty.

He will always do what is right.

⁴The Lord causes his miracles to be remembered.

He is kind and tender.

⁵He provides food for those who have respect for him.

He remembers his covenant forever.

⁶He has shown his people what his power can do.

He has given them the lands of other nations.

⁷He is faithful and right in everything he does.

All his rules can be trusted.

⁸They will stand firm for ever and ever.

They were given by the Lord.

He is faithful and honest.

⁹He set his people free.

He made a covenant with them that will last forever.

His name is holy and wonderful.

¹⁰If you really want to become wise,

you must begin by having respect for the Lord.

All those who follow his rules have good understanding.

People should praise him forever.