Psalm 109

Prayer against an Enemy

For the choir director. A psalm of David.

God of my praise, do not be silent.(A)
For wicked and deceitful mouths open against me;
they speak against me with lying tongues.(B)
They surround me with hateful words
and attack me without cause.(C)
In return for my love they accuse me,
but I continue to pray.[a](D)
They repay me evil for good,
and hatred for my love.(E)

Set a wicked person over him;
let an accuser[b] stand at his right hand.(F)
When he is judged, let him be found guilty,
and let his prayer be counted as sin.(G)
Let his days be few;
let another take over his position.(H)
Let his children be fatherless
and his wife a widow.(I)
10 Let his children wander as beggars,
searching for food far[c] from their demolished homes.(J)
11 Let a creditor seize all he has;
let strangers plunder what he has worked for.(K)
12 Let no one show him kindness,
and let no one be gracious to his fatherless children.(L)
13 Let the line of his descendants be cut off;
let their name be blotted out in the next generation.(M)
14 Let the iniquity of his fathers
be remembered before the Lord,(N)
and do not let his mother’s sin be blotted out.(O)
15 Let their sins[d] always remain before the Lord,
and let him remove[e] all memory of them from the earth.(P)

16 For he did not think to show kindness,
but pursued the suffering, needy, and brokenhearted
in order to put them to death.(Q)
17 He loved cursing—let it fall on him;
he took no delight in blessing—let it be far from him.(R)
18 He wore cursing like his coat—
let it enter his body like water
and go into his bones like oil.(S)
19 Let it be like a robe he wraps around himself,
like a belt he always wears.(T)
20 Let this be the Lord’s payment to my accusers,
to those who speak evil against me.(U)

21 But you, Lord, my Lord,
deal kindly with me for your name’s sake;(V)
because your faithful love is good, rescue me.(W)
22 For I am suffering and needy;(X)
my heart is wounded within me.(Y)
23 I fade away like a lengthening shadow;(Z)
I am shaken off like a locust.
24 My knees are weak from fasting,
and my body is emaciated.[f](AA)
25 I have become an object of ridicule to my accusers;[g]
when they see me, they shake their heads in scorn.(AB)

26 Help me, Lord my God;
save me according to your faithful love(AC)
27 so they may know that this is your hand
and that you, Lord, have done it.(AD)
28 Though they curse, you will bless.
When they rise up, they will be put to shame,
but your servant will rejoice.(AE)
29 My accusers will be clothed with disgrace;
they will wear their shame like a cloak.(AF)
30 I will fervently thank the Lord with my mouth;
I will praise him in the presence of many.(AG)
31 For he stands at the right hand of the needy
to save him from those who would condemn him.(AH)

Footnotes

  1. 109:4 Lit but I, prayer
  2. 109:6 Or adversary
  3. 109:10 LXX reads beggars, driven far
  4. 109:15 Lit Let them
  5. 109:15 Or cut off
  6. 109:24 Lit denied from fat
  7. 109:25 Lit to them

12 Apply yourself to discipline
and listen to words of knowledge.

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Freedom of the Christian

For freedom, Christ set us free. Stand firm,(A) then, and don’t submit again to a yoke of slavery.(B) Take note! I, Paul, am telling you that if you get yourselves circumcised, Christ will not benefit you at all. Again I testify to every man who gets himself circumcised that he is obligated to do the entire law. You who are trying to be justified by the law are alienated from Christ; you have fallen from grace.(C) For we eagerly await(D) through the Spirit, by faith, the hope(E) of righteousness. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision accomplishes anything; what matters is faith(F) working through love.(G)

You were running well. Who prevented you from obeying the truth?(H) This persuasion does not come from the one who calls you.(I) A little leaven[a] leavens the whole batch of dough. 10 I myself am persuaded in the Lord you will not accept any other view. But whoever it is that is confusing you will pay the penalty.(J) 11 Now brothers and sisters, if I still preach circumcision, why am I still persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross(K) has been abolished. 12 I wish those who are disturbing you might also let themselves be mutilated!

13 For you were called(L) to be free, brothers and sisters; only don’t use this freedom as an opportunity[b] for the flesh, but serve one another through love. 14 For the whole law is fulfilled(M) in one statement: Love your neighbor as yourself.[c](N) 15 But if you bite and devour(O) one another, watch out, or you will be consumed by one another.

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Footnotes

  1. 5:9 Or yeast
  2. 5:13 Lit a pretext; a military term for abuse of position
  3. 5:14 Lv 19:18

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