Psalm 109

To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

8Let his days be few; and let another take his office.footnote e

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

18As 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.footnote f

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Song of the Slandered

For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

1O God of my praise,be not silent. 2For wicked and deceitful mouths open against me;they speak against me with lying tongues. 3They surround me with hateful wordsand attack me without cause. 4In return for my love they accuse me,but I am a man of prayer. 5They repay me evil for good,and hatred for my love.

6Set over him a wicked man;let an accuser stand at his right hand. 7When he is tried, let him be found guilty,and may his prayer be regarded as sin. 8May his days be few;may another take his position.footnote a 9May his children be fatherlessand his wife a widow. 10May his children wander as beggars,seeking sustenancefootnote bfar from their ruined homes. 11May the creditor seize all he owns,and strangers plunder the fruits of his labor. 12May there be no one to extend kindness to him,and no one to favor his fatherless children. 13May his descendants be cut off;may their name be blotted out from the next generation. 14May the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the LORD,and the sin of his mother never be blotted out. 15May their sins always remain before the LORD,that He may cut off their memory from the earth.

16For he never thought to show kindness,but pursued the poor and needy and brokenhearted,even to their death. 17The cursing that he loved,may it fall on him;the blessing in which he refused to delight,may it be far from him. 18The cursing that he wore like a coat,may it soak into his body like water,and into his bones like oil. 19May it be like a robe wrapped about him,like a belt tied forever around him. 20May this be the LORD’s reward to my accusers,to those who speak evil against me.

21But You, O GOD, the Lord,deal kindly with me for the sake of Your name;deliver me by the goodness of Your loving devotion. 22For I am poor and needy;my heart is wounded within me. 23I am fading away like a lengthening shadow;I am shaken off like a locust. 24My knees are weak from fasting,and my body grows lean and gaunt. 25I am an object of scorn to my accusers;when they see me, they shake their heads.

26Help me, O LORD my God;save me according to Your loving devotion. 27Let them know that this is Your hand,that You, O LORD, have done it. 28Though they curse, You will bless.When they rise up, they will be put to shame,but Your servant will rejoice. 29May my accusers be clothed with disgrace;may they wear their shame like a robe. 30With my mouth I will thank the LORD profusely;I will praise Him in the presence of many. 31For He stands at the right hand of the needy one,to save him from the condemners of his soul.