1 T o the Overseer. -- A Psalm of David. O God of my praise, be not silent,

Hold not thy peace, O God of my praise;

2 F or the mouth of wickedness, and the mouth of deceit, Against me they have opened, They have spoken with me -- A tongue of falsehood, and words of hatred!

For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of deceit have they opened against me: They have spoken unto me with a lying tongue.

3 T hey have compassed me about, And they fight me without cause.

They have compassed me about also with words of hatred, And fought against me without a cause.

4 F or my love they oppose me, and I -- prayer!

For my love they are my adversaries: But I give myself unto prayer.

5 A nd they set against me evil for good, And hatred for my love.

And they have rewarded me evil for good, And hatred for my love.

6 A ppoint Thou over him the wicked, And an adversary standeth at his right hand.

Set thou a wicked man over him; And let an adversary stand at his right hand.

7 I n his being judged, he goeth forth wicked, And his prayer is for sin.

When he is judged, let him come forth guilty; And let his prayer be turned into sin.

8 H is days are few, his oversight another taketh,

Let his days be few; And let another take his office.

9 H is sons are fatherless, and his wife a widow.

Let his children be fatherless, And his wife a widow.

10 A nd wander continually do his sons, Yea, they have begged, And have sought out of their dry places.

Let his children be vagabonds, and beg; And let them seek their bread out of their desolate places.

11 A n exactor layeth a snare for all that he hath, And strangers spoil his labour.

Let the extortioner catch all that he hath; And let strangers make spoil of his labor.

12 H e hath none to extend kindness, Nor is there one showing favour to his orphans.

Let there be none to extend kindness unto him; Neither let there be any to have pity on his fatherless children.

13 H is posterity is for cutting off, In another generation is their name blotted out.

Let his posterity be cut off; In the generation following let their name be blotted out.

14 T he iniquity of his fathers Is remembered unto Jehovah, And the sin of his mother is not blotted out.

Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered with Jehovah; And let not the sin of his mother be blotted out.

15 T hey are before Jehovah continually, And He cutteth off from earth their memorial.

Let them be before Jehovah continually, That he may cut off the memory of them from the earth;

16 B ecause that he hath not remembered to do kindness, And pursueth the poor man and needy, And the smitten of heart -- to slay,

Because he remembered not to show kindness, But persecuted the poor and needy man, And the broken in heart, to slay them.

17 A nd he loveth reviling, and it meeteth him, And he hath not delighted in blessing, And it is far from him.

Yea, he loved cursing, and it came unto him; And he delighted not in blessing, and it was far from him.

18 A nd he putteth on reviling as his robe, And it cometh in as water into his midst, And as oil into his bones.

He clothed himself also with cursing as with his garment, And it came into his inward parts like water, And like oil into his bones.

19 I t is to him as apparel -- he covereth himself, And for a continual girdle he girdeth it on.

Let it be unto him as the raiment wherewith he covereth himself, And for the girdle wherewith he is girded continually.

20 T his the wage of mine accusers from Jehovah, And of those speaking evil against my soul.

This is the reward of mine adversaries from Jehovah, And of them that speak evil against my soul.

21 A nd Thou, O Jehovah Lord, Deal with me for Thy name's sake, Because Thy kindness good, deliver me.

But deal thou with me, O Jehovah the Lord, for thy name's sake: Because thy lovingkindness is good, deliver thou me;

22 F or I poor and needy, And my heart hath been pierced in my midst.

For I am poor and needy, And my heart is wounded within me.

23 A s a shadow when it is stretched out I have gone, I have been driven away as a locust.

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

24 M y knees have been feeble from fasting, And my flesh hath failed of fatness.

My knees are weak through fasting; And my flesh faileth of fatness.

25 A nd I -- I have been a reproach to them, They see me, they shake their head.

I am become also a reproach unto them: When they see me, they shake their head.

26 H elp me, O Jehovah my God, Save me, according to Thy kindness.

Help me, O Jehovah my God; Oh save me according to thy lovingkindness:

27 A nd they know that this Thy hand, Thou, O Jehovah, Thou hast done it.

That they may know that this is thy hand; That thou, Jehovah, hast done it.

28 T hey revile, and Thou dost bless, They have risen, and are ashamed, And Thy servant doth rejoice.

Let them curse, but bless thou: When they arise, they shall be put to shame, But thy servant shall rejoice.

29 M ine accusers put on blushing, and are covered, As an upper robe their shame.

Let mine adversaries be clothed with dishonor, And let them cover themselves with their own shame as with a robe.

30 I thank Jehovah greatly with my mouth, And in the midst of many I praise Him,

I will give great thanks unto Jehovah with my mouth; Yea, I will praise him among the multitude.

31 F or He standeth at the right hand of the needy, To save from those judging his soul.

For he will stand at the right hand of the needy, To save him from them that judge his soul.