Psalms 109

1 God, do not pass over my praise in silence,

2 because a sinner’s mouth and a deceitful mouth opened against me; they spoke against me with a deceitful tongue.

3 They surrounded me with hateful words and fought against me for no reason.

4 In return for my love, they accused me falsely, but I continued praying.

5 They set evil against me in return for good, and hatred in return for my love.

6 Appoint a sinner over him, and may the Accuser stand at his right hand.

7 When he is judged, may he come away condemned, and may his prayer become sin.

8 May his days be few, and may another take his office of oversight.

9 May his children become orphans and his wife a widow.

10 May his children wander as homeless people and beg; may they be driven from their homes.

11 May a creditor search out everything he has, and may foreigners plunder his labor.

12 May he have no helper, and may no one show compassion to his orphans.

13 May his children be handed over to destruction; may his name be erased in one generation.

14 May his fathers’ lawlessness be remembered before the Lord, and may his mother’s sin not be erased.

15 May they remain before the Lord continually, and may their memory be completely destroyed from the earth,

16 because he did not remember to show mercy but persecuted a poor and needy person, one wounded in heart, to put him to death.

17 He loved a curse, and it will come upon him. He did not desire a blessing, and it will remain far from him.

18 He put on a curse like clothing, and it entered his inner parts like water and his bones like oil.

19 May it become like clothing he wraps around himself and like a belt he continually wears.

20 This is the Lord’s work against those who accuse me and those who speak evil against my soul.

21 But you, Lord, Lord, show me mercy because of your name, because your mercy is kind.

22 Rescue me, because I am poor and needy, and my heart is troubled within me.

23 I was taken away like a declining shadow; I was shaken off like locusts.

24 My knees became weak from fasting, and my flesh was changed because of oil.

25 I became a reproach to them. When they saw me, they shook their heads.

26 Help me, Lord my God; save me according to your mercy.

27 May they know that this is your hand and that you, Lord, did it.

28 They will curse, but you will bless. May those who rise against me be ashamed, but your servant will rejoice.

29 May those who accuse me be clothed with disgrace and wrap themselves in shame like a double cloak.

30 I will give thanks to the Lord greatly with my mouth and praise him among many people,

31 because he stood at a poor person’s right hand to save me from those who persecute my soul.