1Ein Lied von David. Mein Gott, ich lobe dich! Bitte schweige doch nicht!2Rücksichtslos gehen gottlose Menschen gegen mich vor, sie reißen ihren Mund auf und verleumden mich.3Sie bedrängen mich mit hasserfüllten Worten und bekämpfen mich ohne jeden Grund.4Meine Freundschaft beantworten sie mit Feindschaft, ich aber bete weiter zu dir.5Mit Bosheit zahlen sie mir heim, was ich ihnen Gutes tue; meiner Liebe setzen sie nur Hass entgegen.6O Herr, lass einen Ankläger gegen meinen Feind auftreten, der so ungerecht und gewissenlos ist wie er selbst. Schicke doch jemanden, der mit ihm ins Gericht geht![1]7Wenn das Urteil gefällt wird, soll er schuldig gesprochen werden. Selbst sein Gebet rechne ihm als Sünde an!8Er soll nicht mehr lange leben, und seine Stellung soll ein anderer bekommen.9Seine Kinder sollen zu Waisen werden, und seine Frau soll als Witwe zurückbleiben.10Ruhelos sollen seine Kinder umherirren und betteln, ihr Elternhaus lass zu einer Ruine verfallen.11Seine Gläubiger mögen seinen Besitz an sich reißen, und Fremde sollen rauben, was er sich erworben hat.12Niemand soll sein Andenken in Ehren halten und mit seinen verwaisten Kindern Mitleid haben.13Seine Nachkommen sollen ausgerottet werden, schon in der nächsten Generation möge ihr Name erlöschen.14Der HERR soll niemals das Unrecht vergessen, das die Vorfahren meines Feindes begingen, und auch die Schuld seiner Mutter soll nicht vergeben werden!15Die Sünden aller seiner Vorfahren sollen dem HERRN stets vor Augen stehen, doch an sie selbst soll niemand mehr denken!16Denn dieser Mensch dachte nicht daran, anderen Gutes zu tun. Die Armen und Hilflosen verfolgte er, und die Niedergeschlagenen trieb er in den Tod.17Er liebte es, andere zu verfluchen – nun soll der Fluch ihn selbst treffen! Er hasste es, andere zu segnen – darum bleibe der Segen von ihm fern!18Das Fluchen wurde ihm zur Gewohnheit, er hüllte sich darin ein wie in einen Mantel. Aber nun wird sein Fluch gegen ihn selbst wirksam: Er dringt in ihn ein wie Wasser, das man trinkt, und wie Öl, mit dem man sich einreibt.19Er soll ihn bedecken wie ein Gewand und ihn für immer einschnüren wie ein enger Gürtel!20Ja, HERR, damit strafe alle meine Feinde, alle, die mich so gehässig verleumden!21HERR, mein Gott, tritt für mich ein, es geht doch um deine Ehre! Rette mich, denn auf deine Gnade ist Verlass!22Ich bin niedergeschlagen und hilflos, im tiefsten Herzen verletzt.23Mein Leben gleicht einem Schatten am Abend, der bald in der Dunkelheit verschwindet. Ich bin wie eine Heuschrecke, die man vom Arm abschüttelt.24Vom vielen Fasten zittern mir die Knie, ich bin nur noch Haut und Knochen.25Für meine Feinde bin ich zum Gespött geworden; wenn sie mich sehen, schütteln sie den Kopf.26Hilf mir, HERR, und rette mich, denn du bist doch ein gnädiger Gott!27HERR, lass meine Feinde erkennen, dass du es bist, der alles so gefügt hat!28Mögen sie mich auch verwünschen – du wirst mich segnen! Sollen sie doch angreifen – sie werden dabei scheitern! Zuletzt werde ich, dein Diener, mich freuen.29Schimpf und Schande sollen über meine Ankläger kommen, sie sollen sie einhüllen wie ein Mantel!30Immer wieder will ich dem HERRN danken, in aller Öffentlichkeit will ich ihn loben.31Er steht dem Wehrlosen zur Seite und rettet ihn vor denen, die seinen Tod fordern.
1God, I praise you. Don’t remain silent.2Sinful people who lie and cheat have spoken against me. They have used their tongues to tell lies about me.3They gather all around me with their words of hatred. They attack me without any reason.4They bring charges against me, even though I love them and pray for them.5They pay me back with evil for the good things I do. They pay back my love with hatred.6Appoint an evil person to take my enemies to court. Let him stand at their right hand and bring charges against them.7When they are tried, let them be found guilty. May even their prayers judge them.8May their days be few. Let others take their places as leaders.9May their children’s fathers die. May their wives become widows.10May their children be driven from their destroyed homes. May they wander around like beggars.11May everything those people own be taken away to pay for what they owe. May strangers rob them of everything they’ve worked for.12May no one be kind to them or take pity on the children they leave behind.13May their family line come to an end. May their names be forgotten by those who live after them.14May the LORD remember the evil things their fathers have done. May he never erase the sins of their mothers.15May the LORD never forget their sins. Then he won’t let people remember the names of my enemies anymore.16They never thought about doing anything kind. Instead, they drove those who were poor and needy to their deaths. They did the same thing to those whose hearts were broken.17They loved to curse others. May their curses come back on them. They didn’t find any pleasure in giving anyone their blessing. May no blessing ever come to them.18They cursed others as easily as they put on clothes. Cursing was as natural to them as getting a drink of water or putting olive oil on their bodies.19May their curses cover them like coats. May their curses be wrapped around them like a belt for ever.20May that be the LORD’s way of paying back those who bring charges against me. May it happen to those who say evil things about me.21But LORD and King, help me so that you bring honour to yourself. Because your love is so good, save me.22I am poor and needy. My heart is wounded deep down inside me.23I fade away like an evening shadow. I’m like a locust that someone brushes off.24My knees are weak because I’ve gone without food. My body is very thin.25Those who bring charges against me laugh at me. When they see me, they shake their heads at me.26LORD my God, help me. Save me because of your faithful love.27LORD, let my enemies know that you yourself have saved me. You have done it with your own hand.28They may curse me. But may you bless me. May those who attack me be put to shame. But may I be filled with joy.29May those who bring charges against me be clothed with dishonour. May they be wrapped in shame as if it were a coat.30With my mouth I will continually praise the LORD. I will praise him when all his people gather for worship.31He stands ready to help those who need it. He saves them from those who are ready to sentence them to death.
1To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. Be not silent, O God of my praise! (5Mo 10,21; Ps 28,1; Ps 71,6; Jer 17,14)2For wicked and deceitful mouths are opened against me, speaking against me with lying tongues. (Ps 52,4)3They encircle me with words of hate, and attack me without cause. (Ps 69,4)4In return for my love they accuse me, but I give myself to prayer.[1] (Ps 38,20; Ps 69,13)5So they reward me evil for good, and hatred for my love. (Ps 35,12)6Appoint a wicked man against him; let an accuser stand at his right hand. (1Chr 21,1; Hi 30,12; Ps 35,4; Ps 69,22; Sach 3,1)7When he is tried, let him come forth guilty; let his prayer be counted as sin! (Spr 15,8; Spr 21,27; Spr 28,9)8May his days be few; may another take his office! (4Mo 4,16; 1Chr 24,3; Ps 55,23; Apg 1,20)9May his children be fatherless and his wife a widow! (2Mo 22,24)10May his children wander about and beg, seeking food far from the ruins they inhabit! (1Mo 4,12; Ps 37,25; Ps 59,15)11May the creditor seize all that he has; may strangers plunder the fruits of his toil! (5Mo 28,43)12Let there be none to extend kindness to him, nor any to pity his fatherless children! (Hi 5,4; Ps 36,10)13May his posterity be cut off; may his name be blotted out in the second generation! (Ps 21,10; Spr 10,7)14May the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the Lord, and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out! (2Mo 20,5; Neh 4,5; Jer 18,23)15Let them be before the Lord continually, that he may cut off the memory of them from the earth! (Ps 34,16; Ps 90,8)16For he did not remember to show kindness, but pursued the poor and needy and the brokenhearted, to put them to death. (Ps 34,18; Ps 40,17; Ps 109,22)17He loved to curse; let curses come[2] upon him! He did not delight in blessing; may it be far[3] from him! (Spr 14,14; Hes 35,6)18He clothed himself with cursing as his coat; may it soak[4] into his body like water, like oil into his bones! (4Mo 5,22; Ps 73,6; Ps 109,29)19May it be like a garment that he wraps around him, like a belt that he puts on every day!20May this be the reward of my accusers from the Lord, of those who speak evil against my life! (Ps 109,6; Ps 109,29)21But you, O God my Lord, deal on my behalf for your name’s sake; because your steadfast love is good, deliver me! (Ps 23,3; Ps 63,3; Ps 69,16; Jer 14,7)22For I am poor and needy, and my heart is stricken within me. (Ps 109,16)23I am gone like a shadow at evening; I am shaken off like a locust. (2Mo 10,19; Neh 5,13; Hi 38,13; Ps 102,11)24My knees are weak through fasting; my body has become gaunt, with no fat. (Hi 16,8; Ps 35,13)25I am an object of scorn to my accusers; when they see me, they wag their heads. (Ps 22,6; Ps 22,7; Ps 69,19)26Help me, O Lord my God! Save me according to your steadfast love! (Ps 119,86)27Let them know that this is your hand; you, O Lord, have done it! (Hi 37,7)28Let them curse, but you will bless! They arise and are put to shame, but your servant will be glad! (2Sam 16,12; Jes 65,14)29May my accusers be clothed with dishonor; may they be wrapped in their own shame as in a cloak! (Hi 8,22; Ps 35,26; Ps 71,13; Ps 109,18)30With my mouth I will give great thanks to the Lord; I will praise him in the midst of the throng. (Ps 22,25)31For he stands at the right hand of the needy one, to save him from those who condemn his soul to death. (Ps 16,8; Ps 109,6)