Thursday 5 May 2011

A collection of 30 Biblical curses in 2 psalms

You want to celebrate a curse, here is a model for prayer - also applied in the NT: Romans 11:9-10, Acts 1:20

Psalm 69
יְהִי שֻׁלְחָנָם לִפְנֵיהֶם לְפָח
וְלִשְׁלוֹמִים לְמוֹקֵשׁ
23Let their table become in their presence a trap
and in their desserts a snare
תֶּחְשַׁכְנָה עֵינֵיהֶם מֵרְאוֹת
וּמָתְנֵיהֶם תָּמִיד הַמְעַד
24let their eyes be darkened from seeing
and their loins continually shake
שְׁפָךְ עֲלֵיהֶם זַעְמֶךָ
וַחֲרוֹן אַפְּךָ יַשִּׂיגֵם
25Pour out on them your indignation
and your fierce anger will overtake them
תְּהִי טִירָתָם נְשַׁמָּה
בְּאָהֳלֵיהֶם אַל יְהִי יֹשֵׁב
26Let their home become desolate
in their tents let no one be living
----
תְּנָה עָו‍ֹן עַל עֲו‍ֹנָם
וְאַל יָבֹאוּ בְּצִדְקָתֶךָ
28Give iniquity to their iniquity
let them not come into your righteousness
יִמָּחוּ מִסֵּפֶר חַיִּים
וְעִם צַדִּיקִים אַל יִכָּתֵבוּ
29they will be erased from the record of the living
and with the righteous let them not be written

and Psalm 109 - remember this is prayer (verse 4 but I, I am a prayer)
הַפְקֵד עָלָיו רָשָׁע
וְשָׂטָן יַעֲמֹד עַל יְמִינוֹ
6make a criminal officiate over him
and let the accuser stand at his right hand
בְּהִשָּׁפְטוֹ יֵצֵא רָשָׁע
וּתְפִלָּתוֹ תִּהְיֶה לַחֲטָאָה
7in his judgment let him come out a criminal
and his prayer let it become the sin
יִהְיוּ יָמָיו מְעַטִּים
פְּקֻדָּתוֹ יִקַּח אַחֵר
8let his days be short
let another take his office
יִהְיוּ בָנָיו יְתוֹמִים
וְאִשְׁתּוֹ אַלְמָנָה
9let his children be orphans
and his wife a widow
וְנוֹעַ יָנוּעוּ בָנָיו וְשִׁאֵלוּ
וְדָרְשׁוּ מֵחָרְבוֹתֵיהֶם
10and wandering let his children wander and let them beg
let them seek from their wastelands
יְנַקֵּשׁ נוֹשֶׁה לְכָל אֲשֶׁר לוֹ
וְיָבֹזּוּ זָרִים יְגִיעוֹ
11let a creditor catch all that is his
and let strangers spoil his work
אַל יְהִי לוֹ מֹשֵׁךְ חָסֶד
וְאַל יְהִי חוֹנֵן לִיתוֹמָיו
12let there be to him no dragging out of mercy
and let there be no grace to his orphans
יְהִי אַחֲרִיתוֹ לְהַכְרִית בְּדוֹר אַחֵר
יִמַּח שְׁמָם
13let his followers be cut off in the generation to come
let their name be blotted out
יִזָּכֵר עֲו‍ֹן אֲבֹתָיו אֶל יְהוָה
וְחַטַּאת אִמּוֹ אַל תִּמָּח
14let the iniquity of his father be remembered with יְהוָה
and the sin of his mother, let it not be blotted out
יִהְיוּ נֶגֶד יְהוָה תָּמִיד
וְיַכְרֵת מֵאֶרֶץ זִכְרָם
15let them be before יְהוָה continually
that he may cut off their memory from the earth
יַעַן אֲשֶׁר לֹא זָכַר עֲשׂוֹת חָסֶד
וַיִּרְדֹּף אִישׁ עָנִי וְאֶבְיוֹן
וְנִכְאֵה לֵבָב לְמוֹתֵת
16because he did not remember to do mercy
but he persecuted one afflicted and needy
the broken of heart to kill
וַיֶּאֱהַב קְלָלָה וַתְּבוֹאֵהוּ
וְלֹא חָפֵץ בִּבְרָכָה
וַתִּרְחַק מִמֶּנּוּ
17as he loved cursing so let it come to him
as he did not delight in blessing
so let it be distant from him
וַיִּלְבַּשׁ קְלָלָה כְּמַדּוֹ
וַתָּבֹא כַמַּיִם בְּקִרְבּוֹ
וְכַשֶּׁמֶן בְּעַצְמוֹתָיו
18as he put on cursing like clothing
so it will come like water in his midst
and like oil into his bones
תְּהִי לוֹ כְּבֶגֶד יַעְטֶה
וּלְמֵזַח תָּמִיד יַחְגְּרֶהָ
19let it be to him as a garment wrapping him
and a binding continually holding him
Besides all those other enemies, I dare say there are a few kleptocrats we could pray for.


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