Song of the Slandered

1Unto the end, a psalm for David.

2O God, be not thou silent in thy praise: for the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful man is opened against me.

3They have spoken against with deceitful tongues; and they have compassed me about with words of hatred; and have fought against me without cause.

4Instead of making me a return of love, they detracted me: but I gave myself to prayer.

5And they repaid me evil for good: and hatred for my love.

6Set thou the sinner over him: and may the devil stand at his right hand.

7When he is judged, may he go out condemned; and may his prayer be turned to sin.

8May his days be few: and his bishopric let another take.

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

10Let his children be carried about vagabonds, and beg; and let them be cast out of their dwellings.

11May the userer search all his substance: and let strangers plunder his labours.

12May there be none to help him: nor none to pity his fatherless offspring.

13May his posterity be cut off; in one generation may his name be blotted out.

14May the iniquity of his fathers be remembered in the sight of the Lord: and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out.

15May they be before the lord continually, and let the memory of them perish from the earth:

16because he remembered not to show mercy,

17But persecuted the poor man and the beggar; and the broken in heart, to put him to death.

18And he loved cursing, and it shall come unto him: and he would not have blessing, and it shall be far from him. And he put on cursing, like a garment: and it went in like water into his entrails, and like oil in his bones.

19May it be unto him like a garment which covereth him; and like a girdle with which he is girded continually.

20This is the work of them who detract me before the Lord; and who speak evils against my soul.

21But thou, O Lord, do with for thy names sake: because thy mercy is sweet. Do thou deliver me.

22for I am poor and needy, and my heart is troubled within me.

23I am taken away like the shadow when it declineth: and I am shaken off as locusts.

24My knees are weakened through fasting: and my flesh is changed for oil.

25And I am become a reproach to them: they saw me and they shaked their heads,

26Help me, O Lord my God; save me according to thy mercy.

27And let them know that this is thy hand: and that thou, O Lord, hast done it.

28They will curse and thou will bless: let them that rise up against me be confounded: but thy servant shall rejoice.

29Let them that detract me be clothed with shame: and let them be covered with the their confusion as with a double cloak.

30I will give great thanks to the Lord with my mouth: and in the midst of many I will praise him.

31Because he hath stood at the right hand of the poor, to save my soul from persecutors