Psalm 109 | New International Version New International Reader’s Version

Psalm 109 | New International Version

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

1 My God, whom I praise, do not remain silent, 2 for people who are wicked and deceitful have opened their mouths against me; they have spoken against me with lying tongues. 3 With words of hatred they surround me; they attack me without cause. 4 In return for my friendship they accuse me, but I am a man of prayer. 5 They repay me evil for good, and hatred for my friendship. 6 Appoint someone evil to oppose my enemy; let an accuser stand at his right hand. 7 When he is tried, let him be found guilty, and may his prayers condemn him. 8 May his days be few; may another take his place of leadership. 9 May his children be fatherless and his wife a widow. 10 May his children be wandering beggars; may they be driven* from their ruined homes. 11 May a creditor seize all he has; may strangers plunder the fruits of his labour. 12 May no-one extend kindness to him or take pity on his fatherless children. 13 May his descendants be cut off, their names blotted out from the next generation. 14 May the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the Lord; may the sin of his mother never be blotted out. 15 May their sins always remain before the Lord, that he may blot out their name from the earth. 16 For he never thought of doing a kindness, but hounded to death the poor and the needy and the broken-hearted. 17 He loved to pronounce a curse – may it come back on him. He found no pleasure in blessing – may it be far from him. 18 He wore cursing as his garment; it entered into his body like water, into his bones like oil. 19 May it be like a cloak wrapped about him, like a belt tied for ever round him. 20 May this be the Lord’s payment to my accusers, to those who speak evil of me. 21 But you, Sovereign Lord, help me for your name’s sake; out of the goodness of your love, deliver me. 22 For I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me. 23 I fade away like an evening shadow; I am shaken off like a locust. 24 My knees give way from fasting; my body is thin and gaunt. 25 I am an object of scorn to my accusers; when they see me, they shake their heads. 26 Help me, Lord my God; save me according to your unfailing love. 27 Let them know that it is your hand, that you, Lord, have done it. 28 While they curse, may you bless; may those who attack me be put to shame, but may your servant rejoice. 29 May my accusers be clothed with disgrace and wrapped in shame as in a cloak. 30 With my mouth I will greatly extol the Lord; in the great throng of worshippers I will praise him. 31 For he stands at the right hand of the needy, to save their lives from those who would condemn them.

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New International Reader’s Version

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

1 God, I praise you. Don’t remain silent. 2 Sinful people who lie and cheat have spoken against me. They have used their tongues to tell lies about me. 3 They gather all around me with their words of hatred. They attack me without any reason. 4 They bring charges against me, even though I love them and pray for them. 5 They pay me back with evil for the good things I do. They pay back my love with hatred. 6 Appoint an evil person to take my enemies to court. Let him stand at their right hand and bring charges against them. 7 When they are tried, let them be found guilty. May even their prayers judge them. 8 May their days be few. Let others take their places as leaders. 9 May their children’s fathers die. May their wives become widows. 10 May their children be driven from their destroyed homes. May they wander around like beggars. 11 May everything those people own be taken away to pay for what they owe. May strangers rob them of everything they’ve worked for. 12 May no one be kind to them or take pity on the children they leave behind. 13 May their family line come to an end. May their names be forgotten by those who live after them. 14 May the LORD remember the evil things their fathers have done. May he never erase the sins of their mothers. 15 May the LORD never forget their sins. Then he won’t let people remember the names of my enemies anymore. 16 They 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. 17 They 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. 18 They 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. 19 May their curses cover them like coats. May their curses be wrapped around them like a belt for ever. 20 May 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. 21 But LORD and King, help me so that you bring honour to yourself. Because your love is so good, save me. 22 I am poor and needy. My heart is wounded deep down inside me. 23 I fade away like an evening shadow. I’m like a locust that someone brushes off. 24 My knees are weak because I’ve gone without food. My body is very thin. 25 Those who bring charges against me laugh at me. When they see me, they shake their heads at me. 26 LORD my God, help me. Save me because of your faithful love. 27 LORD, let my enemies know that you yourself have saved me. You have done it with your own hand. 28 They may curse me. But may you bless me. May those who attack me be put to shame. But may I be filled with joy. 29 May those who bring charges against me be clothed with dishonour. May they be wrapped in shame as if it were a coat. 30 With my mouth I will continually praise the LORD. I will praise him when all his people gather for worship. 31 He stands ready to help those who need it. He saves them from those who are ready to sentence them to death.