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.