Psalms 109

1 God of my praise, let my prayer be answered;

1A psalm for David. The Lord said to my Lord: Sit thou at my right hand: Until I make thy enemies thy footstool.

2For the mouth of the sinner is open against me in deceit: his tongue has said false things against me.

2The Lord will send forth the sceptre of thy power out of Sion: rule thou in the midst of thy enemies.

3Words of hate are round about me; they have made war against me without cause.

3With thee is the principality in the day of thy strength: in the brightness of the saints: from the womb before the day star I begot thee.

4For my love they give me back hate; but I have given myself to prayer.

4The Lord hath sworn, and he will not repent: Thou art a priest for ever according to the order of Melchisedech.

5They have put on me evil for good; hate in exchange for my love.

5The Lord at thy right hand hath broken kings in the day of his wrath.

6Put an evil man over him; and let one be placed at his right hand to say evil of him.

6He shall judge among nations, he shall fill ruins: he shall crush the heads in the land of many.

7When he is judged, let the decision go against him; and may his prayer become sin.

7He shall drink of the torrent in the way: therefore shall he lift up the head.

8Let his life be short; let another take his position of authority.

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9Let his children have no father, and his wife be made a widow.

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10Let his children be wanderers, looking to others for their food; let them be sent away from the company of their friends.

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11Let his creditor take all his goods; and let others have the profit of his work.

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12Let no man have pity on him, or give help to his children when he is dead.

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13Let his seed be cut off; in the coming generation let their name go out of memory.

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14Let the Lord keep in mind the wrongdoing of his fathers; and may the sin of his mother have no forgiveness.

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15Let them be ever before the eyes of the Lord, so that the memory of them may be cut off from the earth.

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16Because he had no mercy, but was cruel to the low and the poor, designing the death of the broken-hearted.

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17As he took pleasure in cursing, so let it come on him; and as he had no delight in blessing, let it be far from him.

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18He put on cursing like a robe, and it has come into his body like water, and into his bones like oil.

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19Let it be to him as a robe which he puts on, let it be like a band which is round him at all times.

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20Let this be the reward given to my haters from the Lord, and to those who say evil of my soul.

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21But, O Lord God, give me your help, because of your name; take me out of danger, because your mercy is good.

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22For I am poor and in need, and my heart is wounded in me.

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23I am gone like the shade when it is stretched out: I am forced out of my place like a locust.

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24My knees are feeble for need of food; there is no fat on my bones.

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25As for me, they make sport of me; shaking their heads when they see me.

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26Give me help, O Lord my God; in your mercy be my saviour;

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27So that they may see that it is the work of your hand; that you, Lord, have done it.

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28They may give curses but you give blessing; when they come up against me, put them to shame; but let your servant be glad.

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29Let my haters be clothed with shame, covering themselves with shame as with a robe.

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30I will give the Lord great praise with my mouth; yes, I will give praise to him among all the people.

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31For he is ever at the right hand of the poor, to take him out of the hands of those who go after his soul.

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