Psalm 109

Psalm 109

Prayer for Vindication and Vengeance

To the leader. Of David. A Psalm.

¹Do not be silent, O God of my praise.^*

²For wicked and deceitful mouths are opened against me,

speaking against me with lying tongues.

³They surround me with words of hate

and attack me without cause.^*

⁴In return for my love they accuse me,

even while I make prayer for them.^r*

⁵So they reward me evil for good

and hatred for my love.^*

⁶They say,^s “Appoint a wicked man against him;

let an accuser stand on his right.^*

⁷When he is tried, let him be found guilty;

let his prayer be counted as sin.^*

⁸May his days be few;

may another seize his position.^*

⁹May his children be orphans

and his wife a widow.^*

¹⁰May his children wander about and beg;

may they be driven out of^t the ruins they inhabit.

¹¹May the creditor seize all that he has;

may strangers plunder the fruits of his toil.^*

¹²May there be no one to do him a kindness

nor anyone to pity his orphaned children.^*

¹³May his posterity be cut off;

may his name be blotted out in the second generation.^*

¹⁴May the iniquity of his father^u be remembered before the Lord,

and do not let the sin of his mother be blotted out.^*

¹⁵Let them be before the Lord continually,

and may his^v memory be cut off from the earth.^*

¹⁶For he did not remember to show kindness

but pursued the poor and needy

and the brokenhearted to their death.^*

¹⁷He loved to curse; let curses come on him.

He did not like blessing; may it be far from him.^*

¹⁸He clothed himself with cursing as his coat;

may it soak into his body like water,

like oil into his bones.^*

¹⁹May it be like a garment that he wraps around himself,

like a belt that he wears every day.”

²⁰May that be the reward of my accusers from the Lord,

of those who speak evil against my life.^*

²¹But you, O Lord my Lord,

act on my behalf for your name’s sake;

because your steadfast love is good, deliver me.^*

²²For I am poor and needy,

and my heart is pierced within me.^*

²³I am gone like a shadow at evening;

I am shaken off like a locust.^*

²⁴My knees are weak through fasting;

my body has become gaunt.^*

²⁵I am an object of scorn to my accusers;

when they see me, they shake their heads.^*

²⁶Help me, O Lord my God!

Save me according to your steadfast love.

²⁷Let them know that this is your hand;

you, O Lord, have done it.^*

²⁸Let them curse, but you will bless.

Let my assailants be put to shame;^w may your servant be glad.^*

²⁹May my accusers be clothed with dishonor;

may they be wrapped in their own shame as in a mantle.^*

³⁰With my mouth I will give great thanks to the Lord;

I will praise him in the midst of the throng.^*

³¹For he stands at the right hand of the needy,

to save them from those who would condemn them to death.^*