| 1
| Hold not your tongue, O God of my praise;
*
for the mouth of the wicked,
the mouth of the deceitful, is opened against me.
|
| 2
| They speak to me with a lying tongue; *
they encompass me with hateful words
and fight against me without a cause.
|
| 3
| Despite my love, they accuse me; *
but as for me, I pray for them.
|
| 4
| They repay evil for good, *
and hatred for my love.
|
| 5
| Set a wicked man against him, *
and let an accuser stand at his right hand.
|
| 6
| When he is judged, let him be found guilty,
*
and let his appeal be in vain.
|
| 7
| Let his days be few, *
and let another take his office.
|
| 8
| Let his children be fatherless, *
and his wife become a widow.
|
| 9
| Let his children be waifs and beggars; *
let them be driven from the ruins of their homes.
|
| 10
| Let the creditor seize everything he has;
*
let strangers plunder his gains.
|
| 11
| Let there be no one to show him kindness,
*
and none to pity his fatherless children.
|
| 12
| Let his descendants be destroyed, *
and his name be blotted out in the next generation.
|
| 13
| Let the wickedness of his fathers be remembered
before the LORD, *
and his mother's sin not be blotted out;
|
| 14
| Let their sin be always before the LORD;
*
but let him root out their names from the earth;
|
| 15
| Because he did not remember to show mercy,
*
but persecuted the poor and needy
and sought to kill the brokenhearted.
|
| 16
| He loved cursing,
let it come upon him; *
he took no delight in blessing,
let it depart from him.
|
| 17
| He put on cursing like a garment, *
let it soak into his body like water
and into his bones like oil;
|
| 18
| Let it be to him like the cloak which he
wraps around himself, *
and like the belt that he wears continually.
|
| 19
| Let this be the recompense from the LORD
to my accusers, *
and to those who speak evil against me.
|
| 20
| But you, O Lord my God,
oh, deal with me according to your Name; *
for your tender mercy's sake, deliver me.
|
| 21
| For I am poor and needy, *
and my heart is wounded within me.
|
| 22
| I have faded away like a shadow when it lengthens;
*
I am shaken off like a locust.
|
| 23
| My knees are weak through fasting, *
and my flesh is wasted and gaunt.
|
| 24
| I have become a reproach to them; *
they see and shake their heads.
|
| 25
| Help me, O LORD my God; *
save me for your mercy's sake.
|
| 26
| Let them know that this is your hand, *
that you, O LORD, have done it.
|
| 27
| They may curse, but you will bless; *
let those who rise up against me be put to shame,
and your servant will rejoice.
|
| 28
| Let my accusers be clothed with disgrace
*
and wrap themselves in their shame as in a cloak.
|
| 29
| I will give great thanks to the LORD with
my mouth; *
in the midst of the multitude will I praise him;
|
| 30
| Because he stands at the right hand of the
needy, *
to save his life from those who would condemn him.
|
