PSALM 109

¹For the lead player, a David psalm.

          God of my praise, do not be silent.

    ²For the wicked’s mouth, the mouth of deceit,

          has opened against me,

              they spoke to me with lying tongue.

    ³And words of hatred swarmed round me—

          they battle me for no cause.

    ⁴In return for my love they accuse me,

          though my prayer is for them.

    ⁵And they offer me evil in return for good

          and hatred in return for my love:

    ⁶ “Appoint a wicked man over him,

          let an accuser stand at his right.

    ⁷ When he is judged, let him come out guilty,

          and his prayer be an offense.

    ⁸ Let his days be few,

          may another man take his post.

    ⁹May his children become orphans

          and his wife a widow.

    ¹⁰ May his children wander and beg,

          driven out from the ruins of their homes.

    ¹¹May the lender snare all that he has

          and may strangers plunder his wealth.

    ¹²May no one extend to him kindness

          and no one pity his orphans.

    ¹³ May his offspring be cut off,

          in the next generation his name wiped out.

    ¹⁴ May the wrong of his fathers be recalled by the LORD

          and his mother’s offense not be wiped out.

    ¹⁵Let these be ever before the LORD,

          that He cut off from the earth their name.

    ¹⁶Because he did not remember to do kindness

          and pursued the poor and the needy,

              the heartsore, to put him to death.

    ¹⁷He loved a curse, may it come upon him,

          he desired not blessing—may it stay far from him.

    ¹⁸He donned curse as his garb—

          may it enter his innards like water

          and like oil in his bones.

    ¹⁹May it be like a garment he wraps round him

          and like a belt he girds at all times.”

    ²⁰This be the plight of my accusers from the LORD,

          and those who speak against my life.

    ²¹And You, O LORD, Master,

          act on my behalf for the sake of Your name,

              for Your kindness is good. O save me!

    ²²For poor and needy am I,

          and my heart is pierced within me.

    ²³Like a lengthening shadow I go off,

          I am shaken away like the locust.

    ²⁴My knees falter from fasting

          and my flesh is stripped of fat.

    ²⁵As for me, I become a reproach to them.

          They see me, they shake their heads.

    ²⁶Help me, O LORD, my God

          Rescue me as befits Your kindness,

    ²⁷that they may know that Your hand it is,

          it is You, O LORD, Who did it.

    ²⁸Let them curse, and You, You will bless.

          They will rise and be shamed, and Your servant will rejoice.

    ²⁹Let my accusers don disgrace,

          and let them wrap round like a robe their shame.

    ³⁰I highly acclaim the LORD with my mouth,

          and in the midst of the many I praise Him,

    ³¹for He stands at the needy’s right hand

          to rescue him from his condemners.