1Hold not your tongue, O God of my praise; *for the mouth of the wicked,
the mouth of the deceitful, is opened against me.
2They speak to me with a lying tongue; *they encompass me with hateful words
and fight against me without a cause.
3Despite my love, they accuse me; *but as for me, I pray for them.
4They repay evil for good, *and hatred for my love.
5Set a wicked man against him, *and let an accuser stand at his right hand.
6When he is judged, let him be found guilty, *and let his appeal be in vain.
7Let his days be few, *and let another take his office.
8Let his children be fatherless, *and his wife become a widow.
9Let his children be waifs and beggars; *let them be driven from the ruins of their homes.
10Let the creditor seize everything he has; *let strangers plunder his gains.
11Let there be no one to show him kindness, *and none to pity his fatherless children.
12Let his descendants be destroyed, *and his name be blotted out in the next generation.
13Let the wickedness of his fathers be remembered before the Lord, *and his mother’s sin not be blotted out;
14Let their sin be always before the Lord; *but let him root out their names from the earth;
15Because he did not remember to show mercy, *but persecuted the poor and needy
and sought to kill the brokenhearted.
16He loved cursing,
let it come upon him; *he took no delight in blessing,
let it depart from him.
17He put on cursing like a garment, *let it soak into his body like water
and into his bones like oil;
18Let it be to him like the cloak which he wraps around himself, *and like the belt that he wears continually.
19Let this be the recompense from the Lord to my accusers, *and to those who speak evil against me.
20But you, O Lord my God,
oh, deal with me according to your Name; *for your tender mercy’s sake, deliver me.
21For I am poor and needy, *and my heart is wounded within me.
22I have faded away like a shadow when it lengthens; *I am shaken off like a locust.
23My knees are weak through fasting, *and my flesh is wasted and gaunt.
24I have become a reproach to them; *they see and shake their heads.
25Help me, O Lord my God; *save me for your mercy’s sake.
26Let them know that this is your hand, *that you, O Lord, have done it.
27They may curse, but you will bless; *let those who rise up against me be put to shame,
and your servant will rejoice.
28Let my accusers be clothed with disgrace *and wrap themselves in their shame as in a cloak.
29I will give great thanks to the Lord with my mouth; *in the midst of the multitude will I praise him;
30Because he stands at the right hand of the needy, *to save his life from those who would condemn him.