Psalm 109

English Standard Version

Help Me, O Lord My God

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

109 ^(A)Be not silent, O ^(B)God of my praise!
²For wicked and ^(C)deceitful mouths are opened against me,
    speaking against me with lying tongues.
³They encircle me with words of hate,
    and attack me ^(D)without cause.
⁴In return for my love they ^(E)accuse me,
    but I ^(F)give myself to prayer.^[a]
⁵So they ^(G)reward me evil for good,
    and hatred for my love.

⁶^(H)Appoint a wicked man ^(I)against him;
    let an accuser stand ^(J)at his right hand.
⁷When he is tried, let him come forth guilty;
    let his ^(K)prayer be counted as sin!
⁸May his ^(L)days be few;
    may ^(M)another take his ^(N)office!
⁹May his ^(O)children be fatherless
    and his wife a widow!
¹⁰May his children ^(P)wander about and beg,
    ^(Q)seeking food far from the ruins they inhabit!
¹¹May ^(R)the creditor seize all that he has;
    may ^(S)strangers plunder the fruits of his toil!
¹²Let there be none to ^(T)extend kindness to him,
    nor any to ^(U)pity his fatherless children!
¹³May his ^(V)posterity be cut off;
    may his ^(W)name be blotted out in the second generation!
¹⁴May ^(X)the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the Lord,
    and let not the sin of his mother be ^(Y)blotted out!
¹⁵^(Z)Let them be before the Lord continually,
    that he may ^(AA)cut off the memory of them from the earth!

¹⁶For he did not remember to show kindness,
    but pursued ^(AB)the poor and needy
    and ^(AC)the brokenhearted, to put them to death.
¹⁷^(AD)He loved to curse; let curses come^[b] upon him!
    He did not delight in blessing; may it be far^[c] from him!
¹⁸He ^(AE)clothed himself with cursing as his coat;
    may it ^(AF)soak^[d] into his body like water,
    like oil into his bones!
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 ^(AG)accusers from the Lord,
    of those who speak evil against my life!

²¹But you, O God my Lord,
    deal on my behalf ^(AH)for your name's sake;
    because your ^(AI)steadfast love is good, deliver me!
²²For I am ^(AJ)poor and needy,
    and my heart is stricken within me.
²³I am gone like ^(AK)a shadow at evening;
    I am ^(AL)shaken off like a locust.
²⁴My knees are weak ^(AM)through fasting;
    my ^(AN)body has become gaunt, with no fat.
²⁵I am ^(AO)an object of scorn to my accusers;
    when they see me, they ^(AP)wag their heads.

²⁶^(AQ)Help me, O Lord my God!
    Save me according to your steadfast love!
²⁷Let them ^(AR)know that this is your hand;
    you, O Lord, have done it!
²⁸^(AS)Let them curse, but you will bless!
    They arise and are put to shame, but ^(AT)your servant will be glad!
²⁹May my accusers be ^(AU)clothed with dishonor;
    may they ^(AV)be wrapped in their own shame as in a cloak!

³⁰With my mouth I will give great thanks to the Lord;
I will ^(AW)praise him in the midst of the throng.
³¹For he stands ^(AX)at the right hand of the needy one,
to save him from those who condemn his soul to death.