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A Prayer Against an Enemy

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

109 God, I praise you.
    Do not be silent.
·Wicked [L The mouth of evil] people and ·liars [L the mouth of deceivers] have ·spoken [L opened] against me;
    they ·have told lies about me [L speak against me with lying tongues].
They have ·said hateful things about me [L surrounded me with hateful words]
    and attack me for no reason.
They ·attacked [accuse; charge] me, ·even though I loved them
    and prayed for them [in return for my love and prayer].
I was good to them, but they ·repay [reward] me with evil.
    I loved them, but they hate me in return.

They say about me [C this added phrase suggests another speaker, or perhaps the psalmist is speaking about his accusers], “·Have an evil person work [L Appoint an evil person] against him,
    and let an ·accuser [adversary] stand ·against him [L at his right hand; Job 1:6].
When he is judged, let him be found guilty,
    and let even his prayers ·show [be counted as] his ·guilt [sin].
Let his ·life [L days] be ·cut short [brief],
    and let another man ·replace him as leader [take his position/office; Acts 1:20].
Let his children become orphans
    and his wife a widow [C socially vulnerable, dependent on others].
10 Make his children wander around, begging for food [Jer. 18:21].
    Let them be forced out of the ruins in which they live.
11 Let ·the people to whom he owes money [creditors] ·take [ensnare] everything he owns [2 Kin. 4:1],
    and let strangers ·steal [plunder] everything he has worked for.
12 Let no one ·show [extend to] him ·love [loyalty]
    or have ·mercy [compassion] on his orphaned children.
13 Let all his descendants ·die [L be cut off]
    and ·be forgotten [L their name be blotted/wiped out] by ·those who live after him [L a later generation].
14 Lord, ·remember how wicked his ancestors were [L let the guilt of his fathers be remembered],
    and don’t let the sins of his mother be ·wiped [blotted] out.
15 ·Lord, always remember their sins [L Let them be before the Lord forever].
    ·Then make people forget about them completely [L Let memory of them be cut off from the land].

16 “He did not remember to be ·loving [loyal].
    He ·hurt [persecuted; L pursued] the poor, the needy, and those who were ·sad [depressed; L brokenhearted]
    ·until they were nearly dead [L to their death].
17 He loved to put curses on others,
    so let those same curses ·fall on [L come to] him.
He did not like to bless others,
    so ·do not let good things happen to him [L let them (blessings) be far from him].
18 He ·cursed others as often as he wore clothes [L wore curses like a coat].
    ·Cursing others filled his body and his life,
    like drinking water and using olive oil [L Let them come like water in his innards and like oil in his bones].
19 So let curses ·cover [wrap] him like ·clothes [a garment]
    and ·wrap around him like a belt [L continually gird him].”
20 May the Lord do these things to those who ·accuse [charge] me,
    to those who speak evil against me.

21 But you, Lord God,
    ·be kind to me so others will know you are good [L act on my behalf for the sake of your name].
    Because your ·love [loyalty] is good, ·save [protect] me.
22 I am poor and helpless
    and ·very sad [L my heart is pierced/wounded in me].
23 I am ·dying [L gone] like an evening shadow;
    I am shaken off like a locust.
24 My knees ·are weak [buckle; stumble] from fasting,
    and ·I have grown thin [L my flesh is lean of fat].
25 ·My enemies insult me [L I am a reproach to them];
    they look at me and shake their heads [C in scorn].

26 Lord my God, help me;
    because you are ·loving [loyal], ·save me [give me victory].
27 Then they will know that ·your power has done this [L this is your hand];
    they will know that you have done it, Lord.
28 They may curse me, but you bless me.
    They may ·attack [L rise against] me, but they will be ·disgraced [embarrassed].
    Then I, your servant, will be glad.
29 Let those who ·accuse [charge; attack] me be ·disgraced [L clothed with disgrace]
    and ·covered [wrapped up] with shame like a coat.

30 I will ·thank [praise] the Lord very much [L with my mouth];
    I will praise him in ·front [the midst] of many people.
31 He ·defends [L stands at the right hand of] the helpless
    and ·saves them from [gives them victory over] those who ·accuse [judge] them.

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