¶ To the chanter, a Psalm of David. Hold not thy tongue, O God of my praise. For the mouth of the ungodly, yea and the mouth of the deceitful is opened upon me, and speak against me with false tongues. They compass me about with words of hatred, and fight against me without a cause. For the love that I had unto thee, they take now my contrary part, but I give myself unto prayer. Thus they reward me evil for good, and hatred for my good will.
¶ Set an ungodly man to be ruler over him, and let Satan stond at his right hand. When sentence is given upon him, let him be condemned, and let his prayer be turned into sin. Let his days be few, and his bishopric let another take. Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow. Let his children be vagabonds, and beg their bread: let them seek it, as they that be destroyed. Let the extortioner consume all that he hath, and let strangers spoil his labour. Let there be no man to pity, nor to have compassion on his fatherless children. Let his end be destruction, and in the next generation let his name be clean put out. Let the wickedness of his fathers be had in remembrance in the sight of LORD, and let not the sin of his mother be done away. Let them be alway before the LORD, but as for the memorial of them selves, let it perish from out of the earth. And that because his mind was not to do good, but persecuted the poor helpless, and him that was vexed at the heart, to slay him. His delight was in cursing, and therefore shall it happen unto him: he loved not blessing, and that shall be far from him. He clothed himself with cursing like as with a raiment: yea it went into his bowels like water, and like oil into his bones. Let it be unto him as the cloak that he hath on him, and as the girdle that he is girded withal. Let it thus happen from the LORD unto mine enemies, and to those that speak evil against my soul.
¶ But deal thou with me, O Lord GOD, according unto thy name, for sweet is thy mercy. O deliver me, for I am helpless and poor, and my heart is wounded within me. I go hence like the shadow that departeth, and am driven away as the grasshoppers. My knees are weak thorow fasting, my flesh is dried up for want of fatness. I am become a rebuke unto them, they look upon me and shake their heads. Help me, O LORD my God, oh save me for thy mercies' sake. That they may know, how that this is thy hand, and that thou hast done it. Though they curse, yet bless thou: and let them be confounded, that rise up against me, but let thy servant rejoice. Let mine adversaries be clothed with their own shame, as with a cloak. As for me, I will give thanks unto the LORD with my mouth, and praise him among the multitude. For he stondeth at the right hand of the poor, to save him from such as condemn his soul.