Song of the Slandered

1{To the chief Musician. Of David. A Psalm.} O God of my praise, be not silent:

2For the mouth of the wicked [man] and the mouth of deceit are opened against me: they have spoken against me with a lying tongue,

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

4For my love they are mine adversaries; but I [give myself unto] prayer.

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

6Set a wicked [man] over him, and let [the] adversary stand at his right hand;

7When he shall be judged, let him go out guilty, and let his prayer become sin;

8Let his days be few, let another take his office;

9Let his sons be fatherless, and his wife a widow;

10Let his sons be vagabonds and beg, and let them seek [their bread] far from their desolate places;

11Let the usurer cast the net over all that he hath, and let strangers despoil his labour;

12Let there be none to extend kindness unto him, neither let there be any to favour his fatherless children;

13Let his posterity be cut off; in the generation following let their name be blotted out:

14Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered with Jehovah, and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out;

15Let them be before Jehovah continually, that he may cut off the memory of them from the earth:

16Because he remembered not to shew kindness, but persecuted the afflicted and needy man, and the broken in heart, to slay him.

17And he loved cursing; so let it come unto him. And he delighted not in blessing; and let it be far from him.

18And he clothed himself with cursing like his vestment; so let it come into his bowels like water, and like oil into his bones;

19Let it be unto him as a garment with which he covereth himself, and for a girdle wherewith he is constantly girded.

20Let this be the reward of mine adversaries from Jehovah, and of them that speak evil against my soul.

21But do thou for me, Jehovah, Lord, for thy name's sake; because thy loving-kindness is good, deliver me:

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

23I am gone like a shadow when it lengtheneth; I am tossed about like the locust;

24My knees are failing through fasting, and my flesh hath lost its fatness;

25And I am become a reproach unto them; [when] they look upon me they shake their heads.

26Help me, Jehovah my God; save me according to thy loving-kindness:

27That they may know that this is thy hand; that thou, Jehovah, hast done it.

28Let them curse, but bless thou; when they rise up, let them be ashamed, and let thy servant rejoice.

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

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

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