Song of the Slandered

1For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. Hold not thy peace, O God of my praise;

2For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of deceit have they opened against me: they have spoken unto me with a lying tongue.

3They compassed me about also with words of hatred, and fought against me without a cause.

4For my love they are my adversaries: but I give myself unto prayer.

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

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

7When he is judged, let him come forth guilty; and let his prayer be turned into 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 vagabonds, and beg; and let them seek their bread out of their desolate places.

11Let the extortioner catch all that he hath; and let strangers make spoil of his labour.

12Let there be none to extend mercy unto him; neither let there be any to have pity on 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 the LORD; and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out.

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

16Because that he remembered not to shew mercy, but persecuted the poor and needy man, and the broken in heart, to slay them.

17Yea, he loved cursing, and it came unto him; and he delighted not in blessing, and it was far from him.

18He clothed himself also with cursing as with his garment, and it came into his inward parts like water, and like oil into his bones. Let it be unto him as the raiment

19wherewith he covereth himself, and for the girdle wherewith he is girded continually.

20This is the reward of mine adversaries from the LORD, and of them that speak evil against my soul.

21But deal thou with me, O GOD the Lord, for thy name's sake: because thy mercy is good, deliver thou me,

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

23I am gone like the shadow when it declineth: I am tossed up and down as the locust.

24My knees are weak through fasting; and my flesh faileth of fatness.

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

26Help me, O LORD my God; O save me according to thy mercy:

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

28Let them curse, but bless thou: when they arise, they shall be ashamed, but thy servant shall rejoice.

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

30I will give great thanks unto the LORD with my mouth; yea, I will praise him among the multitude.

31For he shall stand at the right hand of the needy, to save him from them that judge his soul.