Psalm 109
109
Help Me, O Lord My God
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.
1 # See Ps. 28:1 Be not silent, O #Deut. 10:21; [Ps. 71:6; Jer. 17:14]God of my praise!
2For wicked and #Ps. 52:4deceitful mouths are opened against me,
speaking against me with lying tongues.
3They encircle me with words of hate,
and attack me #See Ps. 69:4without cause.
4In return for my love they #Ps. 38:20 accuse me,
but I #[Ps. 69:13]give myself to prayer.#109:4 Hebrew but I am prayer
5So they #See Ps. 35:12reward me evil for good,
and hatred for my love.
6 # For ver. 6-15, see Ps. 35:4-8; 69:22-28 Appoint a wicked man #[1 Chr. 21:1; Zech. 3:1] against him;
let an accuser stand #Job 30:12at his right hand.
7When he is tried, let him come forth guilty;
let his #Prov. 28:9; [Prov. 15:8; 21:27]prayer be counted as sin!
8May his #[Ps. 55:23] days be few;
may #Cited Acts 1:20 another take his #Num. 4:16; [1 Chr. 24:3]office!
9May his #Ex. 22:24children be fatherless
and his wife a widow!
10May his children #[Gen. 4:12]; See Ps. 59:15 wander about and beg,
# [Ps. 37:25] seeking food far from the ruins they inhabit!
11May #[Deut. 28:43, 44]the creditor seize all that he has;
may #[Deut. 28:43, 44]strangers plunder the fruits of his toil!
12Let there be none to #[Ps. 36:10] extend kindness to him,
nor any to #[Job 5:4]pity his fatherless children!
13May his #See Ps. 21:10 posterity be cut off;
may his #Prov. 10:7name be blotted out in the second generation!
14May #Ex. 20:5 the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the Lord,
and let not the sin of his mother be #Neh. 4:5; Jer. 18:23blotted out!
15 # [Ps. 90:8] Let them be before the Lord continually,
that he may #Ps. 34:16cut off the memory of them from the earth!
16For he did not remember to show kindness,
but pursued #ver. 22; Ps. 40:17 the poor and needy
and #See Ps. 34:18the brokenhearted, to put them to death.
17 # [Prov. 14:14; Ezek. 35:6] He loved to curse; let curses come#109:17 Revocalization; Masoretic Text curses have come upon him!
He did not delight in blessing; may it be far#109:17 Revocalization; Masoretic Text it is far from him!
18He #[ver. 29; Ps. 73:6] clothed himself with cursing as his coat;
may it #[Num. 5:22]soak#109:18 Revocalization; Masoretic Text it has soaked into his body like water,
like oil into his bones!
19May it be like a garment that he wraps around him,
like a belt that he puts on every day!
20May this be the reward of my #ver. 6, 29accusers from the Lord,
of those who speak evil against my life!
21But you, O God my Lord,
deal on my behalf #[Jer. 14:7]; See Ps. 23:3 for your name’s sake;
because your #Ps. 69:16; [Ps. 63:3]steadfast love is good, deliver me!
22For I am #ver. 16poor and needy,
and my heart is stricken within me.
23I am gone like #See Ps. 102:11 a shadow at evening;
I am #Ex. 10:19; [Neh. 5:13; Job 38:13]shaken off like a locust.
24My knees are weak #Ps. 35:13 through fasting;
my #[Job 16:8]body has become gaunt, with no fat.
25I am #Ps. 22:6; 69:19 an object of scorn to my accusers;
when they see me, they #See Ps. 22:7wag their heads.
26 #
Ps. 119:86
Help me, O Lord my God!
Save me according to your steadfast love!
27Let them #[Job 37:7]know that this is your hand;
you, O Lord, have done it!
28 # [2 Sam. 16:12] Let them curse, but you will bless!
They arise and are put to shame, but #[Isa. 65:14]your servant will be glad!
29May my accusers be #ver. 18; See Job 8:22 clothed with dishonor;
may they #Ps. 71:13; [Ps. 35:26]be wrapped in their own shame as in a cloak!
30With my mouth I will give great thanks to the Lord;
I will #[Ps. 22:25]praise him in the midst of the throng.
31For he stands #ver. 6; See Ps. 16:8at the right hand of the needy one,
to save him from those who condemn his soul to death.
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Psalms 109
109
(A psalm by David for the music leader.)
A Prayer for the Lord's Help
1I praise you, God!
Don't keep silent.
2Destructive and deceitful lies
are told about me,
3and hateful things are said
for no reason.
4I had pity and prayed#109.4 and prayed: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
for my enemies,
but their words to me
were harsh and cruel.
5For being friendly and kind,
they paid me back
with meanness and hatred.
6My enemies said,
“Find some worthless fools
to accuse him of a crime.
7Try him and find him guilty!
Consider his prayers a lie.
8 #
Ac 1.20. Cut his life short
and let someone else
have his job.
9Make orphans of his children
and a widow of his wife;
10make his children beg for food
and live in the slums.
11“Let the people he owes
take everything he owns.
Give it all to strangers.
12Don't let anyone be kind to him
or have pity on the children
he leaves behind.
13Bring an end to his family,
and from now on let him be
a forgotten man.
14“Don't let the Lord forgive
the sins of his parents
and his ancestors.
15Don't let the Lord forget
the sins of his family,
or let anyone remember
his family ever lived.
16He was so cruel to the poor,
homeless, and discouraged
that they died young.
17“He cursed others.
Now place a curse on him!
He never wished others well.
Wish only trouble for him!
18He cursed others more often
than he dressed himself.
Let his curses strike him deep,
just as water and olive oil
soak through to our bones.
19Let his curses surround him,
just like the belt and clothes
he wears each day.”
20Those are the cruel things
my enemies wish for me.
Let it all happen to them!
21Be true to your name, Lord God!
Show your great kindness
and rescue me.
22I am poor and helpless,
and I have lost all hope.
23I am fading away
like an evening shadow;
I am tossed aside
like a crawling insect.
24I have gone without eating,#109.24 without eating: See the note at 35.13.
until my knees are weak,
and my body is bony.
25 #
Mt 27.39; Mk 15.29. When my enemies see me,
they say cruel things
and shake their heads.
26Please help me, Lord God!
Come and save me
because of your love.
27Let others know that you alone
have saved me.
28I don't care if they curse me,
as long as you bless me.
You will make my enemies fail
when they attack,
and you will make me glad
to be your servant.
29You will cover them with shame,
just as their bodies
are covered with clothes.
30I will sing your praises
and thank you, Lord,
when your people meet.
31You help everyone in need,
and you save them from death.
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