To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.

8,6,8,6

^1O thou the God of all my praise,

do thou not hold thy peace;

^2For mouths of wicked men to speak

against me do not cease:

The mouths of vile deceitful men

against me open'd be;

And with a false and lying tongue

they have accused me.

^3They did beset me round about

with words of hateful spight:

And though to them no cause I gave,

against me they did fight.

^4They for my love became my foes,

but I me set to pray.

^5Evil for good, hatred for love,

to me they did repay.

^6Set thou the wicked over him;

and upon his right hand

Give thou his greatest enemy,

ev'n Satan, leave to stand.

^7And when by thee he shall be judg'd,

let him condemned be;

And let his pray'r be turn'd to sin,

when he shall call on thee.

^8Few be his days, and in his room

his charge another take.

^9His children let be fatherless,

his wife a widow make.

^10His children let be vagabonds,

and beg continually;

And from their places desolate

seek bread for their supply.

^11Let covetous extortioners

catch all he hath away:

Of all for which he labour'd hath

let strangers make a prey.

^12Let there be none to pity him,

let there be none at all

That on his children fatherless

will let his mercy fall.

^13Let his posterity from earth

cut off for ever be,

And in the foll'wing age their name

be blotted out by thee.

^14Let God his father's wickedness

still to remembrance call;

And never let his mother's sin

be blotted out at all.

^15But let them all before the Lord

appear continually,

That he may wholly from the earth

cut off their memory.

^16Because he mercy minded not,

but persecuted still

The poor and needy, that he might

the broken-hearted kill.

^17As he in cursing pleasure took,

so let it to him fall;

As he delighted not to bless,

so bless him not at all.

^18As cursing he like clothes put on,

into his bowels so,

Like water, and into his bones,

like oil, down let it go.

^19Like to the garment let it be

which doth himself array,

And for a girdle, wherewith he

is girt about alway.

^20From God let this be their reward

that en'mies are to me,

And their reward that speak against

my soul maliciously.

^21But do thou, for thine own name's sake,

O God the Lord, for me:

Sith good and sweet thy mercy is,

from trouble set me free.

^22For I am poor and indigent,

afflicted sore am I,

My heart within me also is

wounded exceedingly.

^23I pass like a declining shade,

am like the locust tost:

^24My knees through fasting weaken'd are,

my flesh hath fatness lost.

^25I also am a vile reproach

unto them made to be;

And they that did upon me look

did shake their heads at me.

^26O do thou help and succour me,

who art my God and Lord:

And, for thy tender mercy's sake,

safety to me afford:

^27That thereby they may know that this

is thy almighty hand;

And that thou, Lord, hast done the same,

they may well understand.

^28Although they curse with spite, yet, Lord,

bless thou with loving voice:

Let them asham'd be when they rise;

thy servant let rejoice.

^29Let thou mine adversaries all

with shame be clothed over;

And let their own confusion

them, as a mantle, cover.

^30But as for me, I with my mouth

will greatly praise the Lord;

And I among the multitude

his praises will record.

^31For he shall stand at his right hand

who is in poverty,

To save him from all those that would

condemn his soul to die.