| 
          
          [1]O God, pass not over my praise in silence;
          [2]for the mouth of the sinner and the mouth of the crafty man have been opened against me: they have spoken against me with a crafty tongue.
          [3]And they have compassed me with words of hatred; and fought against me without a cause.
          [4]Instead of loving me, they falsely accused me: but I continued to pray.
          [5]And they rewarded me evil for good, and hatred for my love.
          [6]Set thou a sinner against him; and let the devil stand at his right hand.
          [7]When he is judged, let him go forth condemned: and let his prayer become sin.
          [8]Let his days be few: and let another take his office of overseer.
          [9]Let his children be orphans, and his wife a widow.
          [10]Let his children wander without a dwelling-place, and beg: let them be cast out of their habitations.
          [11]Let his creditor exact all that belongs to him: and let strangers spoil his labours.
          [12]Let him have no helper; neither let there be any one to have compassion on his fatherless children.
          [13]Let his children be given up to utter destruction: in one generation let his name be blotted out.
          [14]Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the Lord; and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out.
          [15]Let them be before the Lord continually; and let their memorial be blotted out from the earth.
          [16]Because he remembered not to shew mercy, but persecuted the needy and poor man, and that to slay him that was pricked in the heart.
          [17]He loved cursing also, and it shall come upon him; and he took not pleasure in blessing, so it shall be removed far from him.
          [18]Yea, he put on cursing as a garment, and it is come as water into his bowels, and as oil into his bones.
          [19]Let it be to him as a garment which he puts on, and as a girdle with which he girds himself continually.
          [20]This is the dealing of the Lord with those who falsely accuse me, and of them that speak evil against my soul.
          [21]But thou, O Lord, Lord, deal mercifully with me, for thy name's sake: for thy mercy is good.
          [22]Deliver me, for I am poor and needy; and my heart is troubled within me.
          [23]I am removed as a shadow in its going down: I am tossed up and down like locusts.
          [24]My knees are weakened through fasting, and my flesh is changed by reason of the want of oil.
          [25]I became also a reproach to them: when they saw me they shook their heads.
          [26]Help me, O Lord my God; and save me according to thy mercy.
          [27]And let them know that this is thy hand; and that thou, Lord, hast wrought it.
          [28]Let them curse, but thou shalt bless: let them that rise up against me be ashamed, but let thy servant rejoice.
          [29]Let those that falsely accuse me be clothed with shame, and let them cover themselves with their shame as with a mantle.
          [30]I will give thanks to the Lord abundantly with my mouth; and in the midst of many I will praise him.
          [31]For he stood on the right hand of the poor, to save me from them that persecute my soul.
         |