Psalm 109
Prayer against an Enemy
For the choir director. A psalm of David.
2For wicked and deceitful mouths open against me;
3They surround me with hateful words
4In return for my love they accuse me,
but I continue to pray.109:4 Lit but I, prayer109:4 Ps 69:13
5They repay me evil for good,
6Set a wicked person over him;
let an accuser109:6 Or adversary stand at his right hand.109:6 Zch 3:1
7When he is judged, let him be found guilty,
8Let his days be few;
9Let his children be fatherless
and his wife a widow.109:9 Ex 22:24
10Let his children wander as beggars,
searching for food far109:10 LXX reads beggars, driven far from their demolished homes.109:10 Jb 30:5–8; Ps 59:15
11Let a creditor seize all he has;
let strangers plunder what he has worked for.109:11 Dt 28:43–44; Lm 5:2
12Let no one show him kindness,
and let no one be gracious to his fatherless children.109:12 Jb 5:4
13Let the line of his descendants be cut off;
14Let the iniquity of his fathers
and let him remove109:15 Or cut off all memory of them from the earth.109:15 Ps 34:16; 90:8; Jr 16:17
16For he did not think to show kindness,
but pursued the suffering, needy, and brokenhearted
17He loved cursing — let it fall on him;
18He wore cursing like his coat —
let it enter his body like water
and go into his bones like oil.109:18 Nm 5:22
19Let it be like a robe he wraps around himself,
like a belt he always wears.109:19 Ps 73:26
20Let this be the Lord’s payment to my accusers,
21But you, Lord, my Lord,
because your faithful love is good, rescue me.109:21 Ps 69:16
my heart is wounded within me.109:22 Ps 143:4
I am shaken off like a locust.
24My knees are weak from fasting,
25I have become an object of ridicule to my accusers;109:25 Lit to them
26Help me, Lord my God;
save me according to your faithful love109:26 Ps 119:86
27so they may know that this is your hand
and that you, Lord, have done it.109:27 Jb 37:7
28Though they curse, you will bless.
When they rise up, they will be put to shame,
but your servant will rejoice.109:28 2Sm 16:11–12; Is 65:14
29My accusers will be clothed with disgrace;
30I will fervently thank the Lord with my mouth;
31For he stands at the right hand of the needy
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