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

Do not keep silent, 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 the deceitful Have opened against me; They have spoken against me with a lying tongue.

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

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

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

In return for my love they are my accusers, But I give myself to prayer.

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

Thus 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 a wicked man over him, And let an accuser 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 be found guilty, And let his prayer become 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 continually be vagabonds, and beg; Let them seek their bread also from their desolate places.

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

Let the creditor seize all that he has, And let strangers plunder 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 mercy to him, Nor let there be any to favor 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, And 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 before the Lord, 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 continually before the Lord, 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 did not remember to show mercy, But persecuted the poor and needy man, That he might even slay the broken in heart.

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

As he loved cursing, so let it come to him; As he did not delight in blessing, so let it be 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.

As he clothed himself with cursing as with his garment, So let it enter his body 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 to him like the garment which covers him, And for a belt with which he girds himself continually.

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

Let this be the Lord ’s reward to my accusers, And to those who speak evil against my person.

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

But You, O G OD the Lord, Deal with me for Your name’s sake; Because Your mercy is good, deliver 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 a shadow when it lengthens; I am shaken off like a 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 is feeble from lack of fatness.

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

I also have become a reproach to them; When they look at me, they shake their heads.

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

Help me, O Lord my God! Oh, save me according to Your mercy,

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

That they may know that this is Your hand— That You, Lord, have 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 You bless; When they arise, let them be ashamed, But let Your servant rejoice.

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

Let my accusers be clothed with shame, And let them cover themselves with their own disgrace as with a mantle.

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

I will greatly praise the Lord with my mouth; Yes, 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 shall stand at the right hand of the poor, To save him from those who condemn him.