PSALM 109

Vengeance Invoked upon Adversaries.

For the choir director. A Psalm of David.

1 O aGod of my praise,

bDo not be silent!

2 For they have opened the 1wicked and adeceitful mouth against me;

They have spoken 2against me with a blying tongue.

3 They have also surrounded me with words of hatred,

And fought against me awithout cause.

4 In return afor my love they act as my accusers;

But bI am in prayer.

5 Thus they have 1arepaid me evil for good

And bhatred for my love.

6 Appoint a wicked man over him,

And let an 1aaccuser stand at his right hand.

7 When he is judged, let him acome forth guilty,

And let his bprayer become sin.

8 Let ahis days be few;

Let banother take his office.

9 Let his achildren be fatherless

And his bwife a widow.

10 Let his achildren wander about and beg;

And let them bseek sustenance 1far from their ruined homes.

11 Let athe creditor 1seize all that he has,

And let bstrangers plunder the product of his labor.

12 Let there be none to 1aextend lovingkindness to him,

Nor bany to be gracious to his fatherless children.

13 Let his aposterity be 1cut off;

In a following generation let their bname be blotted out.

14 Let athe iniquity of his fathers be remembered 1before the Lord,

And do not let the sin of his mother be bblotted out.

15 Let athem be before the Lord continually,

That He may bcut off their memory from the earth;

16 Because he did not remember to show lovingkindness,

But persecuted the aafflicted and needy man,

And the bdespondent in heart, to cput them to death.

17 He also loved cursing, so ait came to him;

And he did not delight in blessing, so it was far from him.

18 But he aclothed himself with cursing as with his garment,

And it bentered into 1his body like water

And like oil into his bones.

19 Let it be to him as aa garment with which he covers himself,

And for a belt with which he constantly bgirds himself.

20 1Let this be the areward of my accusers from the Lord,

And of those who bspeak evil against my soul.

21 But You, O 1God, the Lord, deal kindly with me afor Your name’s sake;

Because bYour lovingkindness is good, deliver me;

22 For aI am afflicted and needy,

And 1my heart is bwounded within me.

23 I am passing alike a shadow when it lengthens;

I am shaken off blike the locust.

24 My aknees 1are weak from bfasting,

And my flesh has grown lean, without fatness.

25 I also have become a areproach to them;

When they see me, they bwag their head.

26 aHelp me, O Lord my God;

Save me according to Your lovingkindness.

27 1And let them aknow that this is Your hand;

You, Lord, have done it.

28 aLet them curse, but You bless;

When they arise, they shall be ashamed,

But Your bservant shall be glad.

29 1Let amy accusers be clothed with dishonor,

And 2let them bcover themselves with their own shame as with a robe.

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

And in the midst of many aI will praise Him.

31 For He stands aat the right hand of the needy,

To save him from those who bjudge his soul.