1 “For the leader of the music. A psalm of David.” O God of my praise! be not silent! 2 For the mouths of the wicked and the deceitful are opened against me; They speak against me with a lying tongue. 3 They assault me on every side with words of hatred; They fight against me without a cause. 4 For my love they are my adversaries: But I give myself unto prayer. 5 They repay me evil for good, And hatred for love. 6 Set thou a wicked man over him, And let an adversary stand at his right hand! 7 When he is judged, may he be condemned, And may his prayer be a crime! 8 May his days be few, And another take his office! 9 May his children be fatherless, And his wife a widow! 10 May his children be vagabonds and beggars, And from their ruined dwellings seek their bread! 11 May a creditor seize on all that he hath, And a stranger plunder his substance! 12 May there be none to show him compassion, And none to pity his fatherless children! 13 May his posterity be cut off; In the next generation may his name be blotted out! 14 May the iniquity of his fathers be remembered by the LORD, And may the sin of his mother never be blotted out! 15 May they be before the LORD continually; And may he cut off their memory from the earth! 16 Because he remembered not to show pity, But persecuted the afflicted and the poor man, And sought the death of the broken-hearted. 17 As he loved cursing, let it come upon him; As he delighted not in blessing, let it be far from him! 18 May he be clothed with cursing as with a garment; May it enter like water into his bowels, And like oil into his bones! 19 May it be to him like the robe that covereth him, Like the girdle with which he is constantly girded! 20 May this be the wages of mine adversaries from the LORD, And of them that speak evil against me! 21 But do thou, O LORD, my God! take part with me, For thine own name's sake! Because great is thy mercy, O deliver me! 22 For I am afflicted and needy, And my heart is wounded within me. 23 I am going like a shadow; I am driven away as the locust. 24 My knees totter from fasting, And my flesh faileth of fatness. 25 I am a reproach to my enemies; They gaze at me; they shake their heads. 26 Help me, O LORD, my God! O save me, according to thy mercy! 27 That they may know that this is thy hand; That thou, O Lord! hast done it! 28 Let them curse, but do thou bless! When they arise, let them be put to shame; But let thy servant rejoice! 29 May my enemies be clothed with ignominy; May they be covered with their shame, as with a mantle! 30 I will earnestly praise the LORD with my lips; In the midst of the multitude I will praise him. 31 For he standeth at the right hand of the poor, To save him from those who would condemn him.