Prayer against an Enemy
For the choir director. A Davidic psalm.
1 God of my praise, do not be silent.
2 For wicked and deceitful mouths open against me;
they speak against me with lying tongues.
3 They surround me with hateful words
and attack me without cause.
4 In return for my love they accuse me,
but I continue to pray.
5 They repay me evil for good,
and hatred for my love.
6 Set a wicked person over him;
let an accuserstand at his right hand.
7 When he is judged, let him be found guilty,
and let his prayer be counted as sin.
8 Let his days be few;
let another take over his position.
9 Let his children be fatherless
and his wife a widow.
10 Let his children wander as beggars,
searching for food farfrom their demolished homes.
11 Let a creditor seize all he has;
let strangers plunder what he has worked for.
12 Let no one show him kindness,
and let no one be gracious to his fatherless children.
13 Let the line of his descendants be cut off;
let their name be blotted out in the next generation.
14 Let his ancestors’ guilt
be remembered before theLord,
and do not let his mother’s sin be blotted out.
15 Let their sinsalways remain before theLord,
and let Him eraseall memory of them from the earth.
16 For he did not think to show kindness,
but pursued the afflicted, poor, and brokenhearted
in order to put them to death.
17 He loved cursing — let it fall on him;
he took no delight in blessing — let it be far from him.
18 He wore cursing like his coat —
let it enter his body like water
and go into his bones like oil.
19 Let it be like a robe he wraps around himself,
like a belt he always wears.
20 Let this be theLord’s payment to my accusers,
to those who speak evil against me.
21 But You, Yahweh my Lord,
deal kindly with me because of Your name;
deliver me because of the goodness of Your faithful love.
22 For I am afflicted and needy;
my heart is wounded within me.
23 I fade away like a lengthening shadow;
I am shaken off like a locust.
24 My knees are weak from fasting,
and my body is emaciated.
25 I have become an object of ridicule to my accusers;
when they see me, they shake their heads in scorn.
26 Help me,Lordmy God;
save me according to Your faithful love
27 so they may know that this is Your hand
and that You,Lord, have done it.
28 Though they curse, You will bless.
When they rise up, they will be put to shame,
but Your servant will rejoice.
29 My accusers will be clothed with disgrace;
they will wear their shame like a cloak.
30 I will fervently thank theLordwith my mouth;
I will praise Him in the presence of many.
31 For He stands at the right hand of the needy
to save him from those who would condemn him.
—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/17/32k/PSA/109-8ca99c89c070a1f12740b2f002aa18fd.mp3?version_id=72—