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 the names of my enemies 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 curse 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 cursed 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,
help me so that you bring honor to yourself.
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 of your faithful love.
27Lord, let my enemies know that you yourself have saved me.
You have done it with your own hand.
28They may curse me.
But may you bless me.
May those who attack me be put to shame.
But may I be filled with joy.
29May those who bring charges against me be clothed with dishonor.
May they 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 his people gather for worship.
31He stands ready to help those who need it.
He saves them from those who are ready to sentence them to death.
To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.
1Hold not thy peace, O God of my praise;
2For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful are opened against me: they have spoken against me with a lying tongue.109.2 of the deceitful: Heb. of deceit109.2 are opened: Heb. have opened themselves
3They compassed me about also with words of hatred; and fought against me without a cause.
4For my love they are my adversaries: but I give myself unto prayer.
5And they have rewarded me evil for good, and hatred for my love.
6Set thou a wicked man over him: and let Satan stand at his right hand.109.6 Satan: or, an adversary
7When he shall be judged, let him be condemned: and let his prayer become sin.109.7 be condemned: Heb. go out guilty, or, wicked
8Let his days be few; and let another take his office.109.8 office: or, charge
9Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow.
10Let his children be continually vagabonds, and beg: let them seek their bread also out of their desolate places.
11Let the extortioner catch all that he hath; and let the strangers spoil his labour.
12Let there be none to extend mercy unto him: neither let there be any to favour his fatherless children.
13Let his posterity be cut off; and in the generation following let their name be blotted out.
14Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered with the LORD; and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out.
15Let them be before the LORD continually, that he may cut off the memory of them from the earth.
16Because that he remembered not to shew mercy, but persecuted the poor and needy man, that he might even slay the broken in heart.
17As he loved cursing, so let it come unto him: as he delighted not in blessing, so let it be far from him.
18As he clothed himself with cursing like as with his garment, so let it come into his bowels like water, and like oil into his bones.109.18 into his bowels: Heb. within him
19Let it be unto him as the garment which covereth him, and for a girdle wherewith he is girded continually.
20Let this be the reward of mine adversaries from the LORD, and of them that speak evil against my soul.
21But do thou for me, O GOD the Lord, for thy name’s sake: because thy mercy is good, deliver thou me.
22For I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me.
23I am gone like the shadow when it declineth: I am tossed up and down as the locust.
24My knees are weak through fasting; and my flesh faileth of fatness.
25I became also a reproach unto them: when they looked upon me they shaked their heads.
26Help me, O LORD my God: O save me according to thy mercy:
27That they may know that this is thy hand; that thou, LORD, hast done it.
28Let them curse, but bless thou: when they arise, let them be ashamed; but let thy servant rejoice.
29Let mine adversaries be clothed with shame, and let them cover themselves with their own confusion, as with a mantle.
30I will greatly praise the LORD with my mouth; yea, I will praise him among the multitude.
31For he shall stand at the right hand of the poor, to save him from those that condemn his soul.109.31 those…: Heb. the judges of
