1“To the chief musician, by David, a psalm.” O God of my praise, do not keep silence.

2For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of deceit are opened against me: they have spoken with me with the tongue of falsehood.

3Also with words of hatred have they encompassed me, and they fight against me without a cause.

4In recompense for my love are they my accusers, while I have nothing but prayer.

5And they impose evil on me in recompense for good, and hatred in lieu of my love.

6Appoint thou a wicked man over him: and let an accuser stand at his right hand.

7When he is to be judged, let him go forth guilty, and let his prayer become sin.

8Let his days be few, and let another take his office.

9Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow.

10Let his children be continually moving about, and beg, and let them seek [their bread] out of their ruined places.

11Let the creditor lay snares after all that he hath, and let strangers plunder his labor.

12Let him have none that extendeth kindness, and let there be none that is gracious to his fatherless children.

13Let his posterity be cut off: in another generation let their name be blotted out.

14Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered by the Lord, and let the sin of his mother not be blotted out.

15Let them be before the Lord continually, that he may cut off from the earth their memory.

16For the reason that he remembered not to show kindness; but persecuted the poor and needy man, and the grieved in heart to put him to death.

17As he loved cursing, so let it come over him: and as he delighted not in blessing, so let it be far from him.

18And he clothed himself with cursing as with his garment, and it cometh like water within him, and like oil into his bones.

19Let it be unto him as a garment in which he wrappeth himself, and for a girdle let him be continually girded with it.

20Let this be the reward of my accusers from the Lord, and of those that speak evil against my soul.

21But thou, O Eternal Lord, deal with me for the sake of thy name: because thy kindness is good, deliver thou me.

22For poor and needy am I, and my heart is deeply wounded within me.

23Like the shadow when it declineth do I hasten away: I am driven suddenly off like the locusts.

24My knees stumble through fasting, and my flesh faileth of fatness.

25And I am become a reproach unto them: when they see me, they shake their head.

26Help me, O Lord my God: O save me according to thy kindness:

27That they may know that this is thy hand: that thou, Lord, hast truly done it.

28Let them then curse, but do thou bless: when they arise, let them be made ashamed; but let thy servant rejoice.

29Let my accusers be clothed with confusion, and let them wrap themselves, as with a mantle, in their own shame.

30I will thank the Lord greatly with my mouth, and in the midst of many will I praise him.

31For he ever standeth at the right hand of the needy, to save him from those that judge his soul.