Psalm 109

Vengeance Invoked upon Adversaries.

For the choir director. A Psalm of David.

1 O God of my praise,
Do not be silent!

2 For they have opened the wicked and deceitful mouth against me;
They have spoken against me with a lying tongue.

3 They have also surrounded me with words of hatred,
And fought against me without cause.

4 In return for my love they act as my accusers;
But I am in prayer.

5 Thus they have repaid me evil for good
And hatred for my love.

6 Appoint a wicked man over him,
And let an accuser stand at his right hand.

7 When he is judged, let him come forth guilty,
And let his prayer become sin.

8 Let his days be few;
Let another take his office.

9 Let his children be fatherless
And his wife a widow.

10 Let his children wander about and beg;
And let them seek sustenance far from their ruined homes.

11 Let the creditor seize all that he has,
And let strangers plunder the product of his labor.

12 Let there be none to extend lovingkindness to him,
Nor any to be gracious to his fatherless children.

13 Let his posterity be cut off;
In a following generation let their name be blotted out.

14 Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the LORD,
And do not let the sin of his mother be blotted out.

15 Let them be before the LORD continually,
That He may cut off their memory from the earth;

16 Because he did not remember to show lovingkindness,
But persecuted the afflicted and needy man,
And the despondent in heart, to put them to death.

17 He also loved cursing, so it came to him;
And he did not delight in blessing, so it was far from him.

18 But he clothed himself with cursing as with his garment,
And it entered into his body like water
And like oil into his bones.

19 Let it be to him as a garment with which he covers himself,
And for a belt with which he constantly girds himself.

20 Let this be the reward of my accusers from the LORD,
And of those who speak evil against my soul.

21 But You, O GOD, the Lord, deal kindly with me for Your name's sake;
Because Your lovingkindness is good, deliver me;

22 For I am afflicted and needy,
And my heart is wounded within me.

23 I am passing like a shadow when it lengthens;
I am shaken off like the locust.

24 My knees are weak from fasting,
And my flesh has grown lean, without fatness.

25 I also have become a reproach to them;
When they see me, they wag their head.

26 Help me, O LORD my God;
Save me according to Your lovingkindness.

27 And let them know that this is Your hand;
You, LORD, have done it.

28 Let them curse, but You bless;
When they arise, they shall be ashamed,
But Your servant shall be glad.

29 Let my accusers be clothed with dishonor,
And let them cover themselves with their own shame as with a robe.

30 With my mouth I will give thanks abundantly to the LORD;
And in the midst of many I will praise Him.

31 For He stands at the right hand of the needy,
To save him from those who judge his soul.

Psalm 109

1 Hold not thy peace, O God of my praise;

2 For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of deceit have they opened against me: They have spoken unto me with a lying tongue.

3 They have 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 an adversary stand at his right hand.

7 When he is judged, let him come forth guilty; And let his prayer be turned into 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 vagabonds, and beg; And let them seek their bread out of their desolate places.

11 Let the extortioner catch all that he hath; And let strangers make spoil of his labor.

12 Let there be none to extend kindness unto him; Neither let there be any to have pity on his fatherless children.

13 Let his posterity be cut off; In the generation following let their name be blotted out.

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

15 Let them be before Jehovah continually, That he may cut off the memory of them from the earth;

16 Because he remembered not to show kindness, But persecuted the poor and needy man, And the broken in heart, to slay them.

17 Yea, he loved cursing, and it came unto him; And he delighted not in blessing, and it was far from him.

18 He clothed himself also with cursing as with his garment, And it came into his inward parts like water, And like oil into his bones.

19 Let it be unto him as the raiment wherewith he covereth himself, And for the girdle wherewith he is girded continually.

20 This is the reward of mine adversaries from Jehovah, And of them that speak evil against my soul.

21 But deal thou with me, O Jehovah the Lord, for thy name’s sake: Because thy lovingkindness 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 am become also a reproach unto them: When they see me, they shake their head.

26 Help me, O Jehovah my God; Oh save me according to thy lovingkindness:

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

28 Let them curse, but bless thou: When they arise, they shall be put to shame, But thy servant shall rejoice.

29  Let mine adversaries be clothed with dishonor, And let them cover themselves with their own shame as with a robe.

30 I will give great thanks unto Jehovah with my mouth; Yea, I will praise him among the multitude.

31 For he will stand at the right hand of the needy, To save him from them that judge his soul.