To the chief musician, a psalm of David.
1 God of my praise, hold not thy peace,
For mouth of the wicked,
and mouth of the deceitful are
against me opened:
Gainst me they speak with lying tongue.
3 And compass me about
with words of hate; and me against
without a cause they sought.
4 They for my love mine enemies are:
but I my prayer make.
5 And ill for good rewarded me
and hate for my loves sake.
6 A wicked person over him
do thou make for to sit,
also at his right hand do thou
let Satan stand at it.
7 When he is judged, let him then
condemned be therein:
and let the pray’r that he doth make.
be turn’d into sin.
8 Few let his days be: and let his
office another take.
9 His children let be fatherless,
and’s wife a widow make.
10 Let’s children still be vagabonds,
beg they their bread also:
out of their places desolate
let them a seeking go.
(2)
11 Yea, let th’ extortioner catch all
that doth to him pertain:
and let the stranger spoil what he
did by his labour gain.
12 Let there not any be that may
mercy to him express:
not any one that favour may
his children fatherless.
13 The issue also let thou be
cut off that from him came:
it’h following generation
out blotted be his name.
14 Remember’d with the Lord be his
fathers iniquity:
and of his mother never let
the sin out blotted be.
15 Before Jehovah let them be
continually put:
that from out of the earth he may
the mem’ry of them cut.
16 Because that he remember’d not
compassion to impart,
but did pursue the needy poor:
to slay the broke in heart.
(3)
17 As he did cursing love, so let
cursing unto him come:
as he did not in blessing joy,
so be it far him from.
18 With cursing like a robe as he
cloath’d him: so let it go
like water to his bowels, and
like oil his bones into.
19 Garment like let it to him be,
himself for to array:
and for a girdle, wherewith he
may gird himself alway.
20 Thus let mine adversaries be
rewarded from the Lord:
also of them against my soul
that speak an evil word.
(4)
21 But God the Lord, for thy Names sake,
o do thou well for me:
because thy mercy it is good,
o do thou set me free.
22 For poor and needy I: in me
my heart’s wounded also.
23 Like falling shade I pass: I’m toss’t
Locust like to and fro.
24 Through fasts my knees are weak: my flesh
it’s fatness doth forsake.
25 And I am their reproach: they look
at me, their heads they shake.
26 Help me, o Lord my God: after
thy mercy save thou me:
27 That they may know this is thy hand:
Lord that i'ts done by thee.
28 Let them curse, but o do thou bless;
when as that they arise
let them be shamed, thy servant
let him rejoice likewise.
29 Mine adversaries o let them
with shame be cloath’d upon:
and themselves cloath as with a cloak
with their confusion.
30 I’ll to Jehovah with my mouth
give thanks exceedingly:
yea him among the multitude
with praise I’ll glorify.
31 For he shall stand at right hand of
the poor and needy one:
from those that do condemn his soul
to give salvation.