For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.
109 1 O Father of my praise, do not be silent, 2 for wicked and deceitful mouths have opened against me; they speak against me with lying tongues. 3 With words of hatred they surround me, and they attack me without cause. 4 In return for my love they accuse me, but I give myself to prayer. 5 They repay me evil for good, and hatred for my love.
6 Appoint a wicked man against him; let an accuser stand at his right hand. 7 When he is judged, let him come out guilty; let his prayer become sin. 8 May his days be few; may another take his office. a a v8 Peter applied this verse to Judas Iscariot when the apostles chose Matthias to replace him — Acts 1:20. 9 May his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow. 10 May his children wander and beg, driven from their ruined homes. 11 May the creditor seize all that he has; may strangers plunder the fruit of his labor. 12 May there be no one to extend kindness to him, nor anyone to pity his fatherless children. 13 May his descendants be cut off; may their name be blotted out in the next generation. 14 May the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before our Father, and may the sin of his mother not be blotted out. 15 May they be before our Father continually, that he may wipe out their memory from the earth.
16 For he did not remember to show kindness, but pursued the poor and needy and brokenhearted, to put them to death. 17 He loved cursing; let it come back on him. He took no delight in blessing; may it stay far from him. 18 He clothed himself with cursing as his garment; may it seep into his body like water, like oil into his bones. 19 May it be like a garment he wraps around himself, like a belt he wears continually. 20 May this be the reward of my accusers from our Father, of those who speak evil against my soul.
21 But you, O Sovereign Father, deal kindly with me for your name's sake; because your covenant love is good, deliver me. 22 For I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me. 23 I fade like a shadow at evening; I am shaken off like a locust. 24 My knees are weak from fasting; my body has grown gaunt and thin. 25 I have become an object of scorn to my accusers; when they see me, they shake their heads.
26 Help me, O my Father; save me according to your covenant love, 27 Let them know that this is your hand, that you, my Father, have done it. 28 Let them curse, but you will bless. When they rise up they will be ashamed, but your servant will rejoice. 29 May my accusers be clothed with disgrace; may they wrap themselves in their shame as in a robe.
30 With my mouth I will give great thanks to our Father; in the midst of the crowd I will praise him. 31 For he stands at the right hand of the needy, to save him from those who condemn his soul.