Vengeance Invoked upon Adversaries.

For the music director. A Psalm of David.

1God of my praise,

Do not be silent!

2For they have opened a [a]wicked and deceitful mouth against me;

They have spoken [b]against me with a lying tongue.

3They have also surrounded me with words of hatred,

And have fought against me without cause.

4In return for my love they act as my accusers;

But I am in prayer.

5So they have [c]repaid me evil for good,

And hatred for my love.

6Appoint a wicked person over him,

And may an [d]accuser stand at his right hand.

7When he is judged, may he come out guilty,

And may his prayer become sin.

8May his days be few;

May another take his office.

9May his children be fatherless,

And his wife a widow.

10May his children wander about and beg;

And may they seek sustenance [e]far from their ruined homes.

11May the creditor [f]seize everything that he has,

And may strangers plunder the product of his labor.

12May there be none to [g]extend kindness to him,

Nor any to be gracious to his fatherless children.

13May his descendants be [h]eliminated;

May their name be wiped out in a following generation.

14May the guilt of his fathers be remembered [i]before the LORD,

And do not let the sin of his mother be wiped out.

15May they be before the LORD continually,

So that He may eliminate their memory from the earth;

16Because he did not remember to show mercy,

But persecuted the afflicted and needy person,

And the despondent in heart, to put them to death.

17He also loved cursing, so it came to him;

And he did not delight in blessing, so it was far from him.

18But he clothed himself with cursing as with his garment,

And it entered [j]his body like water,

And like oil into his bones.

19May it be to him as a garment with which he covers himself,

And as a belt which he constantly wears around himself.

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

And of those who speak evil against my soul.

21But You, [k]GOD, the Lord, deal kindly with me for the sake of Your name;

Because Your mercy is good, rescue me;

22For I am afflicted and needy,

And [l]my heart is wounded within me.

23I am passing like a shadow when it lengthens;

I am shaken off like the locust.

24My knees [m]are weak from fasting,

And my flesh has grown lean, without fatness.

25I also have become a disgrace to them;

When they see me, they shake their head.

26Help me, LORD my God;

Save me according to Your mercy.

27[n]And may they know that this is Your hand;

You, LORD, have done it.

28They will curse, but You bless;

When they arise, they will be ashamed,

But Your servant will be glad.

29[o]May my accusers be clothed with dishonor,

And [p]may they cover themselves with their own shame as with a robe.

30With my mouth I will give thanks abundantly to the LORD;

And I will praise Him in the midst of many.

31For He stands at the right hand of the needy,

To save him from those who judge his soul.