Psalms 109
109
PSALM 109
Common Meter: 8,6,8,6
To the chief Musician,
A Psalm of David.
1O thou the God of all my praise,
do thou not hold thy peace;
2For mouths of wicked men to speak
against me do not cease:
The mouths of vile deceitful men
against me open'd be;
And with a false and lying tongue
they have accused me.
3They did beset me round about
with words of hateful spight:
And though to them no cause I gave,
against me they did fight.
4They for my love became my foes,
but I me set to pray.
5Evil for good, hatred for love,
to me they did repay.
6Set thou the wicked over him;
and upon his right hand
Give thou his greatest enemy,
ev'n Satan, leave to stand.
7And when by thee he shall be judg'd,
let him condemned be;
And let his pray'r be turn'd to sin,
when he shall call on thee.
8Few be his days, and in his room
his charge another take.
9His children let be fatherless,
his wife a widow make.
10His children let be vagabonds,
and beg continually;
And from their places desolate
seek bread for their supply.
11Let covetous extortioners
catch all he hath away:
Of all for which he labour'd hath
let strangers make a prey.
12Let there be none to pity him,
let there be none at all
That on his children fatherless
will let his mercy fall.
13Let his posterity from earth
cut off for ever be,
And in the foll'wing age their name
be blotted out by thee.
14Let God his father's wickedness
still to remembrance call;
And never let his mother's sin
be blotted out at all.
15But let them all before the Lord
appear continually,
That he may wholly from the earth
cut off their memory.
16Because he mercy minded not,
but persecuted still
The poor and needy, that he might
the broken-hearted kill.
17As he in cursing pleasure took,
so let it to him fall;
As he delighted not to bless,
so bless him not at all.
18As cursing he like clothes put on,
into his bowels so,
Like water, and into his bones,
like oil, down let it go.
19Like to the garment let it be
which doth himself array,
And for a girdle, wherewith he
is girt about alway.
20From God let this be their reward
that en'mies are to me,
And their reward that speak against
my soul maliciously.
21But do thou, for thine own name's sake,
O God the Lord, for me:
Sith good and sweet thy mercy is,
from trouble set me free.
22For I am poor and indigent,
afflicted sore am I,
My heart within me also is
wounded exceedingly.
23I pass like a declining shade,
am like the locust tost:
24My knees through fasting weaken'd are,
my flesh hath fatness lost.
25I also am a vile reproach
unto them made to be;
And they that did upon me look
did shake their heads at me.
26O do thou help and succour me,
who art my God and Lord:
And, for thy tender mercy's sake,
safety to me afford:
27That thereby they may know that this
is thy almighty hand;
And that thou, Lord, hast done the same,
they may well understand.
28Although they curse with spite, yet, Lord,
bless thou with loving voice:
Let them asham'd be when they rise;
thy servant let rejoice.
29Let thou mine adversaries all
with shame be clothed over;
And let their own confusion
them, as a mantle, cover.
30But as for me, I with my mouth
will greatly praise the Lord;
And I among the multitude
his praises will record.
31For he shall stand at his right hand
who is in poverty,
To save him from all those that would
condemn his soul to die.
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Psalms 109: MP1650
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maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society
Psalms 109
109
Prayer of a Person Falsely Accused
1For the leader. A psalm of David.
I
2O God, whom I praise, do not be silent,#Ps 35:22; 83:1.
for wicked and treacherous mouths attack me.
They speak against me with lying tongues;
3with hateful words they surround me,
attacking me without cause.
4In return for my love they slander me,
even though I prayed for them.
5They repay me evil for good,
hatred for my love.#Ps 35:12; 38:21; Prv 17:13; Jer 18:20.
II
6Appoint an evil one over him,
an accuser#An accuser: Hebrew satan, a word occurring in Jb 1–2 and Zec 3:1–2. In the latter passage Satan stands at the right hand of the high priest to bring false accusations against him before God. Here the accuser is human. to stand at his right hand,
7That he may be judged and found guilty,
that his plea may be in vain.
8May his days be few;
may another take his office.#Acts 1:20.
9May his children be fatherless,
his wife, a widow.#Ex 22:23; Jer 18:21.
10May his children wander and beg,
driven from their hovels.
11May the usurer snare all he owns,
strangers plunder all he earns.
12May no one treat him with mercy
or pity his fatherless children.
13May his posterity be destroyed,#Ps 21:11; Prv 10:7.
their name rooted out in the next generation.
14May his fathers’ guilt be mentioned to the Lord;
his mother’s sin not rooted out.#Ex 20:5.
15May their guilt be always before the Lord,#Ps 90:8.
till their memory is banished from the earth,#Ps 34:16.
16For he did not remember to show mercy,
but hounded the wretched poor
and brought death to the brokenhearted.
17He loved cursing; may it come upon him;
he hated blessing; may none come to him.
18May cursing clothe him like a robe;
may it enter his belly like water,
his bones like oil.
19May it be near as the clothes he wears,
as the belt always around him.
20#May this be the reward…from the Lord: the psalmist prays that God ratify the curses of Ps 109:6–19 and bring them upon the wicked.May this be the reward for my accusers from the Lord,
for those speaking evil against me.
III
21But you, Lord, are my Lord,
deal kindly with me for your name’s sake;
in your great mercy rescue me.
22For I am poor and needy;
my heart is pierced within me.
23Like a lengthening shadow I am gone,
I am shaken off like the locust.
24My knees totter from fasting;#Ps 69:11–13.
my flesh has wasted away.
25I have become a mockery to them;
when they see me, they shake their heads.
26Help me, Lord, my God;
save me in your mercy.
27Make them know this is your hand,
that you, Lord, have done this.
28Though they curse, may you bless;
arise, shame them, that your servant may rejoice.
29Clothe my accusers with disgrace;
make them wear their shame like a mantle.
30I will give fervent thanks to the Lord;
before a crowd I will praise him.#Ps 111:1.
31For he stands at the right hand of the poor
to save him from those who pass judgment on him.
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Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc