Psalms 109

109

For the choir director: A psalm of David.

1O God, whom I praise,

don’t stand silent and aloof

2while the wicked slander me

and tell lies about me.

3They surround me with hateful words

and fight against me for no reason.

4I love them, but they try to destroy me with accusations

even as I am praying for them!

5They repay evil for good,

and hatred for my love.

6They say,#109:6 Hebrew lacks They say. “Get an evil person to turn against him.

Send an accuser to bring him to trial.

7When his case comes up for judgment,

let him be pronounced guilty.

Count his prayers as sins.

8Let his years be few;

let someone else take his position.

9May his children become fatherless,

and his wife a widow.

10May his children wander as beggars

and be driven from#109:10 As in Greek version; Hebrew reads and seek. their ruined homes.

11May creditors seize his entire estate,

and strangers take all he has earned.

12Let no one be kind to him;

let no one pity his fatherless children.

13May all his offspring die.

May his family name be blotted out in the next generation.

14May the Lord never forget the sins of his fathers;

may his mother’s sins never be erased from the record.

15May the Lord always remember these sins,

and may his name disappear from human memory.

16For he refused all kindness to others;

he persecuted the poor and needy,

and he hounded the brokenhearted to death.

17He loved to curse others;

now you curse him.

He never blessed others;

now don’t you bless him.

18Cursing is as natural to him as his clothing,

or the water he drinks,

or the rich food he eats.

19Now may his curses return and cling to him like clothing;

may they be tied around him like a belt.”

20May those curses become the Lord’s punishment

for my accusers who speak evil of me.

21But deal well with me, O Sovereign Lord,

for the sake of your own reputation!

Rescue me

because you are so faithful and good.

22For I am poor and needy,

and my heart is full of pain.

23I am fading like a shadow at dusk;

I am brushed off like a locust.

24My knees are weak from fasting,

and I am skin and bones.

25I am a joke to people everywhere;

when they see me, they shake their heads in scorn.

26Help me, O Lord my God!

Save me because of your unfailing love.

27Let them see that this is your doing,

that you yourself have done it, Lord.

28Then let them curse me if they like,

but you will bless me!

When they attack me, they will be disgraced!

But I, your servant, will go right on rejoicing!

29May my accusers be clothed with disgrace;

may their humiliation cover them like a cloak.

30But I will give repeated thanks to the Lord,

praising him to everyone.

31For he stands beside the needy,

ready to save them from those who condemn them.

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Psalms 109: NLT

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Psalms 109

109

Plea for Judgment of False Accusers

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

1Do#Ps. 83:1 not keep silent,

O God of my praise!

2For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful

Have opened against me;

They have spoken against me with a #Ps. 27:12lying tongue.

3They have also surrounded me with words of hatred,

And fought against me #Ps. 35:7; 69:4; John 15:25without a cause.

4In return for my love they are my accusers,

But I give myself to prayer.

5Thus #Ps. 35:7, 12; 38:20; Prov. 17:13they have rewarded me evil for good,

And hatred for my love.

6Set a wicked man over him,

And let #Zech. 3:1an accuser stand at his right hand.

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

And #(Prov. 28:9)let his prayer become sin.

8Let his days be #(Ps. 55:23); John 17:12few,

And #Ps. 69:25; Acts 1:20let another take his office.

9#Ex. 22:24Let his children be fatherless,

And his wife a widow.

10Let his children continually be vagabonds, and beg;

Let them seek their bread also from their desolate places.

11#Neh. 5:7; Job 5:5; 18:9Let the creditor seize all that he has,

And let strangers plunder his labor.

12Let there be none to extend mercy to him,

Nor let there be any to favor his fatherless children.

13#Job 18:19; Ps. 37:28Let his posterity be cut off,

And in the generation following let their #Prov. 10:7name be blotted out.

14#(Ex. 20:5; Num. 14:18); Is. 65:6; (Jer. 32:18)Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the Lord,

And let not the sin of his mother #Neh. 4:5; Jer. 18:23be blotted out.

15Let them be continually before the Lord,

That He may #Job 18:17; (Ps. 34:16)cut off the memory of them from the earth;

16Because he did not remember to show mercy,

But persecuted the poor and needy man,

That he might even slay the #(Ps. 34:18)broken in heart.

17#Prov. 14:14; (Matt. 7:2)As he loved cursing, so let it come to him;

As he did not delight in blessing, so let it be far from him.

18As he clothed himself with cursing as with his garment,

So let it #Num. 5:22enter his body like water,

And like oil into his bones.

19Let it be to him like the garment which covers him,

And for a belt with which he girds himself continually.

20Let this be the Lord’s reward to my accusers,

And to those who speak evil against my person.

21But You, O God the Lord,

Deal with me for Your name’s sake;

Because Your mercy is good, deliver me.

22For I am poor and needy,

And my heart is wounded within me.

23I am gone #Ps. 102:11like a shadow when it lengthens;

I am shaken off like a locust.

24My #Heb. 12:12knees are weak through fasting,

And my flesh is feeble from lack of fatness.

25I also have become #Ps. 22:7; Jer. 18:16; Lam. 2:15a reproach to them;

When they look at me, #Matt. 27:39; Mark 15:29they shake their heads.

26Help me, O Lord my God!

Oh, save me according to Your mercy,

27#Job 37:7That they may know that this is Your hand—

That You, Lord, have done it!

28#2 Sam. 6:11, 12Let them curse, but You bless;

When they arise, let them be ashamed,

But let #Is. 65:14Your servant rejoice.

29#Job 8:22; Ps. 35:26Let my accusers be clothed with shame,

And let them cover themselves with their own disgrace as with a mantle.

30I will greatly praise the Lord with my mouth;

Yes, #Ps. 35:18; 111:1I will praise Him among the multitude.

31For #(Ps. 16:8)He shall stand at the right hand of the poor,

To save him from those who condemn him.

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