Psalms 109
109
A Prayer Against an Enemy
For the director of music. A song of David.
1God, I praise you.
Do not be silent.
2Wicked people and liars have spoken against me.
They have told lies about me.
3They have said hateful things about me.
They attack me for no reason.
4They attacked me, even though I loved them
and prayed for them.
5I was good to them, but they repay me with evil.
I loved them, but they hate me in return.
6They say about me, “Have the Evil One work against him.
Let the devil accuse him.
7When he is judged, let him be found guilty.
Let even his prayers show that he is guilty.
8Let his life be cut short.
Let another man replace him as leader.
9Let his children become orphans.
Let his wife become a widow.
10Make his children wander around, begging for food.
Let them be forced out of the ruins they live in.
11Let the people he owes money to take everything he owns.
Let strangers steal everything he has worked for.
12Let no one show him love.
Let no one have mercy on his children.
13Let all his descendants die.
Let him be forgotten by people who live after him.
14Let the Lord remember how wicked his ancestors were.
Don’t let the sins of his mother be wiped out.
15Let the Lord always remember their sins.
Then he will make people forget about them completely.
16“He did not remember to be loving.
He hurt the poor, the needy and those who were sad
until they were nearly dead.
17He loved to put curses on others.
So let those same curses fall on him.
He did not like to bless others.
So do not let good things happen to him.
18He cursed others as often as he wore clothes.
Cursing others filled his body and his life,
like drinking water and using olive oil.
19So let curses cover him like clothes.
Let them wrap around him like a belt.”
20May the Lord do these things to those who accuse me,
to those who speak evil against me.
21But you, Lord God,
be kind to me so others will know you are good.
Because your love is good, save me.
22I am poor and helpless.
And I am very sad.
23I am dying like an evening shadow.
I am shaken off like a locust.
24My knees are weak from hunger.
I have become thin.
25My enemies insult me.
They look at me and shake their heads.
26Lord my God, help me.
Because you are loving, save me.
27Then they will know that you have saved me.
They will know it was your power, Lord.
28They may curse me, but you bless me.
They may attack me, but they will be disgraced.
Then I, your servant, will be glad.
29Let those who accuse me be disgraced.
Let them be covered with shame like a coat.
30I will thank the Lord very much.
I will praise him in front of many people.
31He defends the helpless.
He saved me from those who accuse me.
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Copyright © 2015 by Tommy Nelson™, a Division of Thomas Nelson, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Psalms 109
109
Prayer against an Enemy
For the choir director. A Davidic psalm.
1God of my praise, do not be silent. # Ps 28:1; 83:1
2For wicked and deceitful mouths open against me;
they speak against me with lying tongues. # Ps 10:7; 52:4; 120:2
3They surround me with hateful words
and attack me without cause. # Ps 35:7; 69:4; Jn 15:25
4In return for my love they accuse me,
but I continue to pray. # Lit but I, prayer # Ps 69:13
5They repay me evil for good,
and hatred for my love. # Ps 35:12; 38:20
6Set a wicked person over him;
let an accuser # Or adversary stand at his right hand. # Zch 3:1
7When he is judged, let him be found guilty,
and let his prayer be counted as sin. # Ps 1:5; Pr 28:9
8Let his days be few;
let another take over his position. # Ps 55:23; Ac 1:20
9Let his children be fatherless
and his wife a widow. # Ex 22:24
10Let his children wander as beggars,
searching for food far # LXX reads beggars, driven far from their demolished homes. # Jb 30:5-8; Ps 59:15
11Let a creditor seize all he has;
let strangers plunder what he has worked for. # Dt 28:43-44; Lm 5:2
12Let no one show him kindness,
and let no one be gracious to his fatherless children. # Jb 5:4
13Let the line of his descendants be cut off;
let their name be blotted out in the next generation. # Jb 18:17,19; Ps 9:5; Pr 10:7
14Let his ancestors’ guilt
be remembered before the Lord, # Ex 20:5; Nm 14:18
and do not let his mother’s sin be blotted out. # Neh 4:5; Jr 18:23
15Let their sins # Lit Let them always remain before the Lord,
and let Him erase # Or cut off all memory of them from the earth. # Ps 34:16; 90:8; Jr 16:17
16For he did not think to show kindness,
but pursued the afflicted, poor, and brokenhearted
in order to put them to death. # Ps 34:18; 94:6
17He loved cursing — let it fall on him;
he took no delight in blessing — let it be far from him. # Pr 14:14; Ezk 35:6; Mt 7:2
18He wore cursing like his coat —
let it enter his body like water
and go into his bones like oil. # Nm 5:22
19Let it be like a robe he wraps around himself,
like a belt he always wears. # Ps 73:26
20Let this be the Lord’s payment to my accusers,
to those who speak evil against me. # Ps 54:5; 94:23; Is 3:11
21But You, Yahweh my Lord,
deal kindly with me because of Your name; # Ps 79:9; 106:8
deliver me because of the goodness of Your faithful love. # Ps 69:16
22For I am afflicted and needy; # Ps 40:17; 86:1
my heart is wounded within me. # Ps 143:4
23I fade away like a lengthening shadow; # Ps 102:11
I am shaken off like a locust.
24My knees are weak from fasting,
and my body is emaciated. # Lit denied from fat # Jb 16:8; Ps 35:13
25I have become an object of ridicule to my accusers; # Lit to them
when they see me, they shake their heads in scorn. # Ps 22:6-7; 69:19
26Help me, Lord my God;
save me according to Your faithful love # Ps 119:86
27so they may know that this is Your hand
and that You, Lord, have done it. # Jb 37:7
28Though they curse, You will bless.
When they rise up, they will be put to shame,
but Your servant will rejoice. # 2Sm 16:11-12; Is 65:14
29My accusers will be clothed with disgrace;
they will wear their shame like a cloak. # Jb 8:22; Ps 35:26; 132:18
30I will fervently thank the Lord with my mouth;
I will praise Him in the presence of many. # Ps 22:22,25; 35:18; 111:1
31For He stands at the right hand of the needy
to save him from those who would condemn him. # Ps 16:8; 110:5; 121:5
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