The Song of the Slandered

1For the one directing. A Psalm of David.

1 O God of my praise,

do not be silent!

2For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful, they have opened against me—

they speak against me with a tongue of lies;

3and with words of hatred they surround me,

and they fight me without cause.

4In exchange for my love they accuse me,

and I am of prayer;

5and they set against me evil for good,

and hatred for my love.

6Appoint a wicked man over him,

and let an adversary stand at his right hand.

7In his being judged, may he go forth as wicked,

and let his prayer come to be as sin.

8May his days be few;

may another take his position!†

9May his sons be fatherless,

and his wife a widow.

10And let his sons wander continually and beg,

and let them seek sustenance† from their desolate places!

11Let the creditor lay a snare for all that is unto him,

and let strangers plunder his labour.

12None shall there be for him extending kindness,

and none shall there be showing favor to his fatherless.

13Let his posterity be for cutting off;

in the next generation let their name be blotted out!

14May the iniquity of his fathers be remembered to YHWH,

and the sin of his mother not be blotted out.

15Let them be before YHWH continually,

that He may cut off from the earth their memory!

16Because that he has not remembered to do kindness,

and he pursued the poor and needy man,

and the broken of heart to kill him.

17And he loved cursing,

and let it come to him;

and he did not delight in blessing,

and let it be far from him!

18And he clothed himself with cursing as his garment,

and it came in like the water into his inner being,

and like the oil into his bones!

19May it be for him like the garment wrapped about him,

and continually as a belt he girds on.

20May this be the reward of my accusers from YHWH,

and of those speaking evil against my soul!

21But You, O YHWH my Lord,

may you act with me for the sake of Your name;

because of the goodness of Your loving devotion, deliver me!

22For I am poor and needy,

and my heart is pierced within me.

23Like a shadow in its lengthening, I am gone;

I am shaken off like the locust.

24My knees wobble from fasting,

and my flesh has failed of fatness.

25And I have become an object of scorn for them;

they see me; they shake their head.

26Help me, O YHWH my God;

save me according to Your loving devotion,

27that they may know that this is Your hand;

You, O YHWH, have done it!

28They may curse, but You will bless;

may they rise up, and be put to shame,

and may Your servant rejoice!

29May my accusers be clothed with disgrace,

and may they be covered with their shame as the robe.

30I will confess YHWH greatly with my mouth,

and in the midst of the multitudes I will praise Him.

31For He shall stand at the right hand of the poor,

to save him from those judging his soul.