Psalms 109

1 For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. O God of my praise, be not silent.

2 For wicked and deceitful mouths open against me; they speak against me with lying tongues.

3 They surround me with hateful words and attack me without cause.

4 In return for my love they accuse me, but I am a man of prayer.

5 They repay me evil for good, and hatred for my love.

6 Set over him a wicked man; let an accuser stand at his right hand.

7 When he is tried, let him be found guilty, and may his prayer be regarded as sin.

8 May his days be few; may another take his position.

9 May his children be fatherless and his wife a widow.

10 May his children wander as beggars, seeking sustenance far from their ruined homes.

11 May the creditor seize all he owns, and strangers plunder the fruits of his labor.

12 May there be no one to extend kindness to him, and no one to favor his fatherless children.

13 May his descendants be cut off; may their name be blotted out from the next generation.

14 May the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the LORD, and the sin of his mother never be blotted out.

15 May their sins always remain before the LORD, that He may cut off their memory from the earth.

16 For he never thought to show kindness, but pursued the poor and needy and brokenhearted, even to their death.

17 The cursing that he loved, may it fall on him; the blessing in which he refused to delight, may it be far from him.

18 The cursing that he wore like a coat, may it soak into his body like water, and into his bones like oil.

19 May it be like a robe wrapped about him, like a belt tied forever around him.

20 May this be the LORD’s reward to my accusers, to those who speak evil against me.

21 But You, O GOD, the Lord, deal kindly with me for the sake of Your name; deliver me by the goodness of Your loving devotion.

22 For I am poor and needy; my heart is wounded within me.

23 I am fading away like a lengthening shadow; I am shaken off like a locust.

24 My knees are weak from fasting, and my body grows lean and gaunt.

25 I am an object of scorn to my accusers; when they see me, they shake their heads.

26 Help me, O LORD my God; save me according to Your loving devotion.

27 Let them know that this is Your hand, that You, O LORD, have done it.

28 Though they curse, You will bless. When they rise up, they will be put to shame, but Your servant will rejoice.

29 May my accusers be clothed with disgrace; may they wear their shame like a robe.

30 With my mouth I will thank the LORD profusely; I will praise Him in the presence of many.

31 For He stands at the right hand of the needy one, to save him from the condemners of his soul.

1 ¶ To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. Hold not thy peace, O God of my praise;

2 For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful are opened against me: they have spoken against me with a lying tongue.

3 They compassed me about also with words of hatred; and fought against me without a cause.

4 For my love they are my adversaries: but I [give myself unto] prayer.

5 And they have rewarded me evil for good, and hatred for my love.

6 ¶ Set thou a wicked man over him: and let Satan stand at his right hand.

7 When he shall be judged, let him be condemned: and let his prayer become sin.

8 Let his days be few; [and] let another take his office.

9 Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow.

10 Let his children be continually vagabonds, and beg: let them seek [their bread] also out of their desolate places.

11 Let the extortioner catch all that he hath; and let the strangers spoil his labour.

12 Let there be none to extend mercy unto him: neither let there be any to favour his fatherless children.

13 Let his posterity be cut off; [and] in the generation following let their name be blotted out.

14 Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered with the LORD; and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out.

15 Let them be before the LORD continually, that he may cut off the memory of them from the earth.

16 Because that he remembered not to shew mercy, but persecuted the poor and needy man, that he might even slay the broken in heart.

17 As he loved cursing, so let it come unto him: as he delighted not in blessing, so let it be far from him.

18 As he clothed himself with cursing like as with his garment, so let it come into his bowels like water, and like oil into his bones.

19 Let it be unto him as the garment [which] covereth him, and for a girdle wherewith he is girded continually.

20 [Let] this [be] the reward of mine adversaries from the LORD, and of them that speak evil against my soul.

21 ¶ But do thou for me, O GOD the Lord, for thy name's sake: because thy mercy [is] good, deliver thou me.

22 For I [am] poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me.

23 I am gone like the shadow when it declineth: I am tossed up and down as the locust.

24 My knees are weak through fasting; and my flesh faileth of fatness.

25 I became also a reproach unto them: [when] they looked upon me they shaked their heads.

26 Help me, O LORD my God: O save me according to thy mercy:

27 That they may know that this [is] thy hand; [that] thou, LORD, hast done it.

28 Let them curse, but bless thou: when they arise, let them be ashamed; but let thy servant rejoice.

29 Let mine adversaries be clothed with shame, and let them cover themselves with their own confusion, as with a mantle.

30 I will greatly praise the LORD with my mouth; yea, I will praise him among the multitude.

31 For he shall stand at the right hand of the poor, to save [him] from those that condemn his soul.

1 a psalm of David, to be sung. God, my glory, do not be silent!

2 For they have opened their ungodly and false mouths against me, and have spoken against me with a false tongue.

3 And they speak evil against me in every place, and fight against me without a cause.

4 For that I love them, they are against me: but I pray.

5 they prove me evil for good, and hate for love.

6 Set the wicked over him; and let Satan stand at his right hand.

7 Whosoever shall be taught the same, that his life must be ungodly, and his prayer sin.

8 Let his days be few, and let another receive his office.

9 His children shall be orphans, and his wife a widow.

10 His children must go astray, begging and seeking, as those that are corrupt.

11 Let the usurer suck out all that he hath; and let strangers rob his goods.

12 And let no man do him good, neither let any man have pity on his fatherless.

13 His seed must be cut off; their name must be destroyed in the other generation.

14 Let his father's iniquity be remembered before the LORD, and let not his mother's sin be blotted out.

15 Let the LORD never take them out of his sight, and let their remembrance be cut off from the earth,

16 Because he had no mercy at all, but persecuted the wretched, and the poor, and him that was afflicted, to put him to death.

17 And he would have the curse, and it shall come upon him: but he would not have the blessing, and it shall be far from him.

18 And he put on the curse like his shirt; and it went into his inward parts like water, and like oil into his bones.

19 Let it be unto him as a garment to be put on, and as a girdle to be girded withal.

20 So be it done unto them of the LORD that are against me, and speak evil against my soul.

21 But thou, O Lord, be thou with me for thy name's sake: for thy mercy is my consolation: save me.

22 For I am poor and wretched; my heart is slain within me.

23 I pass away as a shadow that is driven away, and am chased away as the locusts.

24 My knees are weak from fasting; and my flesh is lean, and hath no fat.

25 And I must be their mockery: when they see me, they shake their heads.

26 Help me, O LORD my God; help me according to thy mercy,

27 That they may know that this is thy hand, that thou, O Lord, doest these things.

28 If they curse, bless thou. If they set themselves against me, they shall be put to shame: but let thy servant rejoice.

29 My adversaries must be clothed with shame, and be clothed with their shame as with a garment.

30 I will give great thanks unto the LORD with my mouth, and will praise him among many;

31 For he standeth at the right hand of the poor, to save him from them that condemn his life.