1 H old not thy peace, O God of my praise;

2 f or the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful are opened against me: they have spoken against me with a lying tongue.

3 T hey compassed me about also with words of hatred; and fought against me without a cause.

4 F or my love they are my adversaries: but I give myself unto prayer.

5 A nd they have rewarded me evil for good, and hatred for my love.

6 S et thou a wicked man over him: and let Satan stand at his right hand.

7 W hen he shall be judged, let him be condemned: and let his prayer become sin.

8 L et his days be few; and let another take his office.

9 L et his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow.

10 L et his children be continually vagabonds, and beg: let them seek their bread also out of their desolate places.

11 L et the extortioner catch all that he hath; and let the strangers spoil his labour.

12 L et there be none to extend mercy unto him: neither let there be any to favour his fatherless children.

13 L et his posterity be cut off; and in the generation following let their name be blotted out.

14 L et the iniquity of his fathers be remembered with the Lord; and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out.

15 L et them be before the Lord continually, that he may cut off the memory of them from the earth.

16 B ecause that he remembered not to shew mercy, but persecuted the poor and needy man, that he might even slay the broken in heart.

17 A s he loved cursing, so let it come unto him: as he delighted not in blessing, so let it be far from him.

18 A s he clothed himself with cursing like as with his garment, so let it come into his bowels like water, and like oil into his bones.

19 L et it be unto him as the garment which covereth him, and for a girdle wherewith he is girded continually.

20 L et this be the reward of mine adversaries from the Lord, and of them that speak evil against my soul.

21 B ut do thou for me, O God the Lord, for thy name’s sake: because thy mercy is good, deliver thou me.

22 F or I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me.

23 I am gone like the shadow when it declineth: I am tossed up and down as the locust.

24 M y knees are weak through fasting; and my flesh faileth of fatness.

25 I became also a reproach unto them: when they looked upon me they shaked their heads.

26 H elp me, O Lord my God: O save me according to thy mercy:

27 t hat they may know that this is thy hand; that thou, Lord, hast done it.

28 L et them curse, but bless thou: when they arise, let them be ashamed; but let thy servant rejoice.

29 L et mine adversaries be clothed with shame, and let them cover themselves with their own confusion, as with a mantle.

30 I will greatly praise the Lord with my mouth; yea, I will praise him among the multitude.

31 F or he shall stand at the right hand of the poor, to save him from those that condemn his soul.