The song of the slandered
1
Unto the end, a psalm for David.
2
O God, be not thou silent in thy praise: for the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful man is opened against me.
3
They have spoken against with deceitful tongues; and they have compassed me about with words of hatred; and have fought against me without cause.
4
Instead of making me a return of love, they detracted me: but I gave myself to prayer.
5
And they repaid me evil for good: and hatred for my love.
6
Set thou the sinner over him: and may the devil stand at his right hand.
7
When he is judged, may he go out condemned; and may his prayer be turned to sin.
8
May his days be few: and his bishopric let another take.
9
May his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow.
10
Let his children be carried about vagabonds, and beg; and let them be cast out of their dwellings.
11
May the userer search all his substance: and let strangers plunder his labours.
12
May there be none to help him: nor none to pity his fatherless offspring.
13
May his posterity be cut off; in one generation may his name be blotted out.
14
May the iniquity of his fathers be remembered in the sight of the Lord: and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out.
15
May they be before the lord continually, and let the memory of them perish from the earth:
16
Because he remembered not to show mercy,
17
But persecuted the poor man and the beggar; and the broken in heart, to put him to death.
18
And he loved cursing, and it shall come unto him: and he would not have blessing, and it shall be far from him. And he put on cursing, like a garment: and it went in like water into his entrails, and like oil in his bones.
19
May it be unto him like a garment which covereth him; and like a girdle with which he is girded continually.
20
This is the work of them who detract me before the Lord; and who speak evils against my soul.
21
But thou, O Lord, do with for thy names sake: because thy mercy is sweet. Do thou deliver me.
22
For I am poor and needy, and my heart is troubled within me.
23
I am taken away like the shadow when it declineth: and I am shaken off as locusts.
24
My knees are weakened through fasting: and my flesh is changed for oil.
25
And I am become a reproach to them: they saw me and they shaked their heads,
26
Help me, O Lord my God; save me according to thy mercy.
27
And let them know that this is thy hand: and that thou, O Lord, hast done it.
28
They will curse and thou will bless: let them that rise up against me be confounded: but thy servant shall rejoice.
29
Let them that detract me be clothed with shame: and let them be covered with the their confusion as with a double cloak.
30
I will give great thanks to the Lord with my mouth: and in the midst of many I will praise him.
31
Because he hath stood at the right hand of the poor, to save my soul from persecutors.