108 1-2 I’m ready, God, so ready,
    ready from head to toe.
Ready to sing,
    ready to raise a God-song:
“Wake, soul! Wake, lute!
    Wake up, you sleepyhead sun!”

3-6 I’m thanking you, God, out in the streets,
    singing your praises in town and country.
The deeper your love, the higher it goes;
    every cloud’s a flag to your faithfulness.
Soar high in the skies, O God!
    Cover the whole earth with your glory!
And for the sake of the one you love so much,
    reach down and help me—answer me!

7-9 That’s when God spoke in holy splendor:
    “Brimming over with joy,
I make a present of Shechem,
    I hand out Succoth Valley as a gift.
Gilead’s in my pocket,
    to say nothing of Manasseh.
Ephraim’s my hard hat,
    Judah my hammer.
Moab’s a scrub bucket—
    I mop the floor with Moab,
Spit on Edom,
    rain fireworks all over Philistia.”

10-11 Who will take me to the thick of the fight?
    Who’ll show me the road to Edom?
You aren’t giving up on us, are you, God?
    refusing to go out with our troops?

12-13 Give us help for the hard task;
    human help is worthless.
In God we’ll do our very best;
    he’ll flatten the opposition for good.
109 1-5 My God, don’t turn a deaf ear to my hallelujah prayer.
    Liars are pouring out invective on me;
Their lying tongues are like a pack of dogs out to get me,
    barking their hate, nipping my heels—and for no reason!
I loved them and now they slander me—yes, me!—
    and treat my prayer like a crime;
They return my good with evil,
    they return my love with hate.

6-20 Send the Evil One to accuse my accusing judge;
    dispatch Satan to prosecute him.
When he’s judged, let the verdict be “Guilty,”
    and when he prays, let his prayer turn to sin.
Give him a short life,
    and give his job to somebody else.
Make orphans of his children,
    dress his wife in widow’s black;
Turn his children into begging street urchins,
    evicted from their homes—homeless.
May the bank foreclose and wipe him out,
    and strangers, like vultures, pick him clean.
May there be no one around to help him out,
    no one willing to give his orphans a break.
Chop down his family tree
    so that nobody even remembers his name.
But erect a memorial to the sin of his father,
    and make sure his mother’s name is there, too—
Their sins recorded forever before God,
    but they themselves sunk in oblivion.
That’s all he deserves since he was never once kind,
    hounded the afflicted and heartbroken to their graves.
Since he loved cursing so much,
    let curses rain down;
Since he had no taste for blessing,
    let blessings flee far from him.
He dressed up in curses like a fine suit of clothes;
    he drank curses, took his baths in curses.
So give him a gift—a costume of curses;
    he can wear curses every day of the week!
That’s what they’ll get, those out to get me—
    an avalanche of just deserts from God.

21-25 Oh, God, my Lord, step in;
    work a miracle for me—you can do it!
Get me out of here—your love is so great!—
    I’m at the end of my rope, my life in ruins.
I’m fading away to nothing, passing away,
    my youth gone, old before my time.
I’m weak from hunger and can hardly stand up,
    my body a rack of skin and bones.
I’m a joke in poor taste to those who see me;
    they take one look and shake their heads.

26-29 Help me, oh help me, God, my God,
    save me through your wonderful love;
Then they’ll know that your hand is in this,
    that you, God, have been at work.
Let them curse all they want;
    you do the blessing.
Let them be jeered by the crowd when they stand up,
    followed by cheers for me, your servant.
Dress my accusers in clothes dirty with shame,
    discarded and humiliating old ragbag clothes.

30-31 My mouth’s full of great praise for God,
    I’m singing his hallelujahs surrounded by crowds,
For he’s always at hand to take the side of the needy,
    to rescue a life from the unjust judge.
110 1-3 The word of God to my Lord:
    “Sit alongside me here on my throne
    until I make your enemies a stool for your feet.”
You were forged a strong scepter by God of Zion;
    now rule, though surrounded by enemies!
Your people will freely join you, resplendent in holy armor
    on the great day of your conquest,
Join you at the fresh break of day,
    join you with all the vigor of youth.

4-7 God gave his word and he won’t take it back:
    you’re the permanent priest, the Melchizedek priest.
The Lord stands true at your side,
    crushing kings in his terrible wrath,
Bringing judgment on the nations,
    handing out convictions wholesale,
    crushing opposition across the wide earth.
The King-Maker put his King on the throne;
    the True King rules with head held high!

Psalm 108[a](A)(B)

A song. A psalm of David.

My heart, O God, is steadfast;(C)
    I will sing(D) and make music with all my soul.
Awake, harp and lyre!(E)
    I will awaken the dawn.
I will praise you, Lord, among the nations;
    I will sing of you among the peoples.
For great is your love,(F) higher than the heavens;
    your faithfulness(G) reaches to the skies.(H)
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;(I)
    let your glory be over all the earth.(J)

Save us and help us with your right hand,(K)
    that those you love may be delivered.
God has spoken(L) from his sanctuary:(M)
    “In triumph I will parcel out Shechem(N)
    and measure off the Valley of Sukkoth.(O)
Gilead is mine, Manasseh is mine;
    Ephraim is my helmet,
    Judah(P) is my scepter.
Moab(Q) is my washbasin,
    on Edom(R) I toss my sandal;
    over Philistia(S) I shout in triumph.”

10 Who will bring me to the fortified city?
    Who will lead me to Edom?
11 Is it not you, God, you who have rejected us
    and no longer go out with our armies?(T)
12 Give us aid against the enemy,
    for human help is worthless.(U)
13 With God we will gain the victory,
    and he will trample down(V) our enemies.

Psalm 109

For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.

My God, whom I praise,(W)
    do not remain silent,(X)
for people who are wicked and deceitful(Y)
    have opened their mouths against me;
    they have spoken against me with lying tongues.(Z)
With words of hatred(AA) they surround me;
    they attack me without cause.(AB)
In return for my friendship they accuse me,
    but I am a man of prayer.(AC)
They repay me evil for good,(AD)
    and hatred for my friendship.

Appoint someone evil to oppose my enemy;
    let an accuser(AE) stand at his right hand.
When he is tried, let him be found guilty,(AF)
    and may his prayers condemn(AG) him.
May his days be few;(AH)
    may another take his place(AI) of leadership.
May his children be fatherless
    and his wife a widow.(AJ)
10 May his children be wandering beggars;(AK)
    may they be driven[b] from their ruined homes.
11 May a creditor(AL) seize all he has;
    may strangers plunder(AM) the fruits of his labor.(AN)
12 May no one extend kindness to him
    or take pity(AO) on his fatherless children.
13 May his descendants be cut off,(AP)
    their names blotted out(AQ) from the next generation.
14 May the iniquity of his fathers(AR) be remembered before the Lord;
    may the sin of his mother never be blotted out.
15 May their sins always remain before(AS) the Lord,
    that he may blot out their name(AT) from the earth.

16 For he never thought of doing a kindness,
    but hounded to death the poor
    and the needy(AU) and the brokenhearted.(AV)
17 He loved to pronounce a curse—
    may it come back on him.(AW)
He found no pleasure in blessing—
    may it be far from him.
18 He wore cursing(AX) as his garment;
    it entered into his body like water,(AY)
    into his bones like oil.
19 May it be like a cloak wrapped(AZ) about him,
    like a belt tied forever around him.
20 May this be the Lord’s payment(BA) to my accusers,
    to those who speak evil(BB) of me.

21 But you, Sovereign Lord,
    help me for your name’s sake;(BC)
    out of the goodness of your love,(BD) deliver me.(BE)
22 For I am poor and needy,
    and my heart is wounded within me.
23 I fade away like an evening shadow;(BF)
    I am shaken off like a locust.
24 My knees give(BG) way from fasting;(BH)
    my body is thin and gaunt.(BI)
25 I am an object of scorn(BJ) to my accusers;
    when they see me, they shake their heads.(BK)

26 Help me,(BL) Lord my God;
    save me according to your unfailing love.
27 Let them know(BM) that it is your hand,
    that you, Lord, have done it.
28 While they curse,(BN) may you bless;
    may those who attack me be put to shame,
    but may your servant rejoice.(BO)
29 May my accusers be clothed with disgrace
    and wrapped in shame(BP) as in a cloak.

30 With my mouth I will greatly extol the Lord;
    in the great throng(BQ) of worshipers I will praise him.
31 For he stands at the right hand(BR) of the needy,
    to save their lives from those who would condemn them.

Psalm 110

Of David. A psalm.

The Lord says(BS) to my lord:[c]

“Sit at my right hand(BT)
    until I make your enemies
    a footstool for your feet.”(BU)

The Lord will extend your mighty scepter(BV) from Zion,(BW) saying,
    “Rule(BX) in the midst of your enemies!”
Your troops will be willing
    on your day of battle.
Arrayed in holy splendor,(BY)
    your young men will come to you
    like dew from the morning’s womb.[d](BZ)

The Lord has sworn
    and will not change his mind:(CA)
“You are a priest forever,(CB)
    in the order of Melchizedek.(CC)

The Lord is at your right hand[e];(CD)
    he will crush kings(CE) on the day of his wrath.(CF)
He will judge the nations,(CG) heaping up the dead(CH)
    and crushing the rulers(CI) of the whole earth.
He will drink from a brook along the way,[f]
    and so he will lift his head high.(CJ)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 108:1 In Hebrew texts 108:1-13 is numbered 108:2-14.
  2. Psalm 109:10 Septuagint; Hebrew sought
  3. Psalm 110:1 Or Lord
  4. Psalm 110:3 The meaning of the Hebrew for this sentence is uncertain.
  5. Psalm 110:5 Or My lord is at your right hand, Lord
  6. Psalm 110:7 The meaning of the Hebrew for this clause is uncertain.

108 O God, my heart is fixed; I will sing and give praise, even with my glory.

Awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake early.

I will praise thee, O Lord, among the people: and I will sing praises unto thee among the nations.

For thy mercy is great above the heavens: and thy truth reacheth unto the clouds.

Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: and thy glory above all the earth;

That thy beloved may be delivered: save with thy right hand, and answer me.

God hath spoken in his holiness; I will rejoice, I will divide Shechem, and mete out the valley of Succoth.

Gilead is mine; Manasseh is mine; Ephraim also is the strength of mine head; Judah is my lawgiver;

Moab is my washpot; over Edom will I cast out my shoe; over Philistia will I triumph.

10 Who will bring me into the strong city? who will lead me into Edom?

11 Wilt not thou, O God, who hast cast us off? and wilt not thou, O God, go forth with our hosts?

12 Give us help from trouble: for vain is the help of man.

13 Through God we shall do valiantly: for he it is that shall tread down our enemies.

109 Hold not thy peace, O God of my praise;

For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful are opened against me: they have spoken against me with a lying tongue.

They compassed me about also with words of hatred; and fought against me without a cause.

For my love they are my adversaries: but I give myself unto prayer.

And they have rewarded me evil for good, and hatred for my love.

Set thou a wicked man over him: and let Satan stand at his right hand.

When he shall be judged, let him be condemned: and let his prayer become sin.

Let his days be few; and let another take his office.

Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow.

10 Let his children be continually vagabonds, and beg: let them seek their bread also out of their desolate places.

11 Let the extortioner catch all that he hath; and let the strangers spoil his labour.

12 Let there be none to extend mercy unto him: neither let there be any to favour his fatherless children.

13 Let his posterity be cut off; and in the generation following let their name be blotted out.

14 Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered with the Lord; and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out.

15 Let them be before the Lord continually, that he may cut off the memory of them from the earth.

16 Because that he remembered not to shew mercy, but persecuted the poor and needy man, that he might even slay the broken in heart.

17 As he loved cursing, so let it come unto him: as he delighted not in blessing, so let it be far from him.

18 As he clothed himself with cursing like as with his garment, so let it come into his bowels like water, and like oil into his bones.

19 Let it be unto him as the garment which covereth him, and for a girdle wherewith he is girded continually.

20 Let this be the reward of mine adversaries from the Lord, and of them that speak evil against my soul.

21 But do thou for me, O God the Lord, for thy name's sake: because thy mercy is good, deliver thou me.

22 For I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me.

23 I am gone like the shadow when it declineth: I am tossed up and down as the locust.

24 My knees are weak through fasting; and my flesh faileth of fatness.

25 I became also a reproach unto them: when they looked upon me they shaked their heads.

26 Help me, O Lord my God: O save me according to thy mercy:

27 That they may know that this is thy hand; that thou, Lord, hast done it.

28 Let them curse, but bless thou: when they arise, let them be ashamed; but let thy servant rejoice.

29 Let mine adversaries be clothed with shame, and let them cover themselves with their own confusion, as with a mantle.

30 I will greatly praise the Lord with my mouth; yea, I will praise him among the multitude.

31 For he shall stand at the right hand of the poor, to save him from those that condemn his soul.

110 The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.

The Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies.

Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth.

The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.

The Lord at thy right hand shall strike through kings in the day of his wrath.

He shall judge among the heathen, he shall fill the places with the dead bodies; he shall wound the heads over many countries.

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