Add parallel Print Page Options

A Prayer Against an Enemy

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

109 God, I praise you.
    Do not be silent.
Wicked people and liars have spoken against me;
    they have told lies about me.
They have said hateful things about me
    and attack me for no reason.
They attacked me, even though I loved them
    and prayed for them.
I was good to them, but they repay me with evil.
    I loved them, but they hate me in return.

They say about me, “Have an evil person work against him,
    and let an accuser stand against him.
When he is judged, let him be found guilty,
    and let even his prayers show his guilt.
Let his life be cut short,
    and let another man replace him as leader.
Let his children become orphans
    and his wife a widow.
10 Make his children wander around, begging for food.
    Let them be forced out of the ruins in which they live.
11 Let the people to whom he owes money take everything he owns,
    and let strangers steal everything he has worked for.
12 Let no one show him love
    or have mercy on his orphaned children.
13 Let all his descendants die
    and be forgotten by those who live after him.
14 Lord, remember how wicked his ancestors were,
    and don’t let the sins of his mother be wiped out.
15 Lord, always remember their sins.
    Then make people forget about them completely.

16 “He did not remember to be loving.
    He hurt the poor, the needy, and those who were sad
    until they were nearly dead.
17 He loved to put curses on others,
    so let those same curses fall on him.
He did not like to bless others,
    so do not let good things happen to him.
18 He cursed others as often as he wore clothes.
    Cursing others filled his body and his life,
    like drinking water and using olive oil.
19 So let curses cover him like clothes
    and wrap around him like a belt.”
20 May the Lord do these things to those who accuse me,
    to those who speak evil against me.

21 But you, Lord God,
    be kind to me so others will know you are good.
    Because your love is good, save me.
22 I am poor and helpless
    and very sad.
23 I am dying like an evening shadow;
    I am shaken off like a locust.
24 My knees are weak from fasting,
    and I have grown thin.
25 My enemies insult me;
    they look at me and shake their heads.

26 Lord my God, help me;
    because you are loving, save me.
27 Then they will know that your power has done this;
    they will know that you have done it, Lord.
28 They may curse me, but you bless me.
    They may attack me, but they will be disgraced.
    Then I, your servant, will be glad.
29 Let those who accuse me be disgraced
    and covered with shame like a coat.

30 I will thank the Lord very much;
    I will praise him in front of many people.
31 He defends the helpless
    and saves them from those who accuse them.

Psalm 109

For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.

My God, whom I praise,(A)
    do not remain silent,(B)
for people who are wicked and deceitful(C)
    have opened their mouths against me;
    they have spoken against me with lying tongues.(D)
With words of hatred(E) they surround me;
    they attack me without cause.(F)
In return for my friendship they accuse me,
    but I am a man of prayer.(G)
They repay me evil for good,(H)
    and hatred for my friendship.

Appoint someone evil to oppose my enemy;
    let an accuser(I) stand at his right hand.
When he is tried, let him be found guilty,(J)
    and may his prayers condemn(K) him.
May his days be few;(L)
    may another take his place(M) of leadership.
May his children be fatherless
    and his wife a widow.(N)
10 May his children be wandering beggars;(O)
    may they be driven[a] from their ruined homes.
11 May a creditor(P) seize all he has;
    may strangers plunder(Q) the fruits of his labor.(R)
12 May no one extend kindness to him
    or take pity(S) on his fatherless children.
13 May his descendants be cut off,(T)
    their names blotted out(U) from the next generation.
14 May the iniquity of his fathers(V) be remembered before the Lord;
    may the sin of his mother never be blotted out.
15 May their sins always remain before(W) the Lord,
    that he may blot out their name(X) from the earth.

16 For he never thought of doing a kindness,
    but hounded to death the poor
    and the needy(Y) and the brokenhearted.(Z)
17 He loved to pronounce a curse—
    may it come back on him.(AA)
He found no pleasure in blessing—
    may it be far from him.
18 He wore cursing(AB) as his garment;
    it entered into his body like water,(AC)
    into his bones like oil.
19 May it be like a cloak wrapped(AD) about him,
    like a belt tied forever around him.
20 May this be the Lord’s payment(AE) to my accusers,
    to those who speak evil(AF) of me.

21 But you, Sovereign Lord,
    help me for your name’s sake;(AG)
    out of the goodness of your love,(AH) deliver me.(AI)
22 For I am poor and needy,
    and my heart is wounded within me.
23 I fade away like an evening shadow;(AJ)
    I am shaken off like a locust.
24 My knees give(AK) way from fasting;(AL)
    my body is thin and gaunt.(AM)
25 I am an object of scorn(AN) to my accusers;
    when they see me, they shake their heads.(AO)

26 Help me,(AP) Lord my God;
    save me according to your unfailing love.
27 Let them know(AQ) that it is your hand,
    that you, Lord, have done it.
28 While they curse,(AR) may you bless;
    may those who attack me be put to shame,
    but may your servant rejoice.(AS)
29 May my accusers be clothed with disgrace
    and wrapped in shame(AT) as in a cloak.

30 With my mouth I will greatly extol the Lord;
    in the great throng(AU) of worshipers I will praise him.
31 For he stands at the right hand(AV) of the needy,
    to save their lives from those who would condemn them.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 109:10 Septuagint; Hebrew sought