1Hold 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 have 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.
The Accusations and Plea for Justice
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 labor . 12Let there be none to extend kindness 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 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;
The Call for Retribution
16Because he remembered not to show kindness , 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 . 19Let it be unto him as the raiment wherewith he covereth himself , And for the girdle wherewith he is girded continually . 20This is the reward of mine adversaries from Jehovah , And of them that speak evil against my soul .
The Personal Despair and Hope in God
21But deal thou with me , O Jehovah the Lord , for thy name ’s sake : Because thy lovingkindness 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 Jehovah my God ; Oh save me according to thy lovingkindness : 27That they may know that this is thy hand ; That thou , Jehovah , hast done it .
Conclusion and Assurance of Praise
28Let them curse , but bless thou: When they arise , they shall be put to shame, But thy servant shall rejoice . 29Let mine adversaries be clothed with dishonor , And let them cover themselves with their own shame as with a robe . 30I will give great thanks unto Jehovah with my mouth ; Yea, I will praise him among the multitude . 31For he will stand at the right hand of the needy, To save him from them that judge his soul .