Psalm 101

Misericordiam et judicium

I will sing of mercy and justice; *

to you, O Lord, will I sing praises.

I will strive to follow a blameless course;

oh, when will you come to me? *

I will walk with sincerity of heart within my house.

I will set no worthless thing before my eyes; *

I hate the doers of evil deeds;

they shall not remain with me.

A crooked heart shall be far from me; *

I will not know evil.

Those who in secret slander their neighbors I will destroy; *

those who have a haughty look and a proud heart I cannot abide.

My eyes are upon the faithful in the land, that they may dwell with me, *

and only those who lead a blameless life shall be my servants.

Those who act deceitfully shall not dwell in my house, *

and those who tell lies shall not continue in my sight.

I will soon destroy all the wicked in the land, *

that I may root out all evildoers from the city of the Lord.

Psalm 109

Deus, laudem

Hold not your tongue, O God of my praise; *

for the mouth of the wicked,

the mouth of the deceitful, is opened against me.

They speak to me with a lying tongue; *

they encompass me with hateful words

and fight against me without a cause.

Despite my love, they accuse me; *

but as for me, I pray for them.

They repay evil for good, *

and hatred for my love.

Set a wicked man against him, *

and let an accuser stand at his right hand.

When he is judged, let him be found guilty, *

and let his appeal be in vain.

Let his days be few, *

and let another take his office.

Let his children be fatherless, *

and his wife become a widow.

Let his children be waifs and beggars; *

let them be driven from the ruins of their homes.

Let the creditor seize everything he has; *

let strangers plunder his gains.

Let there be no one to show him kindness, *

and none to pity his fatherless children.

Let his descendants be destroyed, *

and his name be blotted out in the next generation.

Let the wickedness of his fathers be remembered before the Lord, *

and his mother’s sin not be blotted out;

Let their sin be always before the Lord; *

but let him root out their names from the earth;

Because he did not remember to show mercy, *

but persecuted the poor and needy

and sought to kill the brokenhearted.

He loved cursing,

let it come upon him; *

he took no delight in blessing,

let it depart from him.

He put on cursing like a garment, *

let it soak into his body like water

and into his bones like oil;

Let it be to him like the cloak which he wraps around himself, *

and like the belt that he wears continually.

Let this be the recompense from the Lord to my accusers, *

and to those who speak evil against me.

But you, O Lord my God,

oh, deal with me according to your Name; *

for your tender mercy’s sake, deliver me.

For I am poor and needy, *

and my heart is wounded within me.

I have faded away like a shadow when it lengthens; *

I am shaken off like a locust.

My knees are weak through fasting, *

and my flesh is wasted and gaunt.

I have become a reproach to them; *

they see and shake their heads.

Help me, O Lord my God; *

save me for your mercy’s sake.

Let them know that this is your hand, *

that you, O Lord, have done it.

They may curse, but you will bless; *

let those who rise up against me be put to shame,

and your servant will rejoice.

Let my accusers be clothed with disgrace *

and wrap themselves in their shame as in a cloak.

I will give great thanks to the Lord with my mouth; *

in the midst of the multitude will I praise him;

Because he stands at the right hand of the needy, *

to save his life from those who would condemn him.