1091 To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. Do not keep silent, O God of my praise! 2 For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful Have opened against me; They have spoken against me with a lying tongue. 3 They have also surrounded me with words of hatred, And fought against me without a cause. 4 In return for my love they are my accusers, But I give myself to prayer. 5 Thus they have rewarded me evil for good, And hatred for my love.
6 Set a wicked man over him, And let an accuser stand at his right hand. 7 When he is judged, let him be found guilty, And let his prayer become sin. 8 Let his days be few, And let another take his office. 9 Let his children be fatherless, And his wife a widow. 10 Let his children continually be vagabonds, and beg; Let them seek their bread also from their desolate places. 11 Let the creditor seize all that he has, And let strangers plunder his labor. 12 Let there be none to extend mercy to him, Nor let there be any to favor his fatherless children. 13 Let his posterity be cut off, And in the generation following let their name be blotted out. 14 Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the Lord, And let not the sin of his mother be blotted out. 15 Let them be continually before the Lord, That He may cut off the memory of them from the earth; 16 Because he did not remember to show mercy, But persecuted the poor and needy man, That he might even slay the broken in heart. 17 As he loved cursing, so let it come to him; As he did not delight in blessing, so let it be far from him. 18 As he clothed himself with cursing as with his garment, So let it enter his body like water, And like oil into his bones. 19 Let it be to him like the garment which covers him, And for a belt with which he girds himself continually. 20 Let this be the Lord's reward to my accusers, And to those who speak evil against my person.
21 But You, O God the Lord, Deal with me for Your name's sake; Because Your mercy is good, deliver me. 22 For I am poor and needy, And my heart is wounded within me. 23 I am gone like a shadow when it lengthens; I am shaken off like a locust. 24 My knees are weak through fasting, And my flesh is feeble from lack of fatness. 25 I also have become a reproach to them; When they look at me, they shake their heads. 26 Help me, O Lord my God! Oh, save me according to Your mercy, 27 That they may know that this is Your hand-- That You, Lord, have done it! 28 Let them curse, but You bless; When they arise, let them be ashamed, But let Your servant rejoice. 29 Let my accusers be clothed with shame, And let them cover themselves with their own disgrace as with a mantle. 30 I will greatly praise the Lord with my mouth; Yes, I will praise Him among the multitude. 31 For He shall stand at the right hand of the poor, To save him from those who condemn him.
1091 To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. Be not silent, O God of my praise! 2 For wicked and deceitful mouths are opened against me, speaking against me with lying tongues. 3 They beset me with words of hate, and attack me without cause. 4 In return for my love they accuse me, even as I make prayer for them. 5 So they reward me evil for good, and hatred for my love.
6 Appoint a wicked man against him; let an accuser bring him to trial. 7 When he is tried, let him come forth guilty; let his prayer be counted as sin! 8 May his days be few; may another seize his goods! 9 May his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow! 10 May his children wander about and beg; may they be driven out of the ruins they inhabit! 11 May the creditor seize all that he has; may strangers plunder the fruits of his toil! 12 Let there be none to extend kindness to him, nor any to pity his fatherless children! 13 May his posterity be cut off; may his name be blotted out in the second generation! 14 May the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the Lord, and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out! 15 Let them be before the Lord continually; and may his memory be cut off from the earth! 16 For he did not remember to show kindness, but pursued the poor and needy and the brokenhearted to their death. 17 He loved to curse; let curses come on him! He did not like blessing; may it be far from him! 18 He clothed himself with cursing as his coat, may it soak into his body like water, like oil into his bones! 19 May it be like a garment which he wraps round him, like a belt with which he daily girds himself! 20 May this be the reward of my accusers from the Lord, of those who speak evil against my life!
21 But thou, O GOD my Lord, deal on my behalf for thy name's sake; because thy steadfast love is good, deliver me! 22 For I am poor and needy, and my heart is stricken within me. 23 I am gone, like a shadow at evening; I am shaken off like a locust. 24 My knees are weak through fasting; my body has become gaunt. 25 I am an object of scorn to my accusers; when they see me, they wag their heads. 26 Help me, O Lord my God! Save me according to thy steadfast love! 27 Let them know that this is thy hand; thou, O Lord, hast done it! 28 Let them curse, but do thou bless! Let my assailants be put to shame; may thy servant be glad! 29 May my accusers be clothed with dishonor; may they be wrapped in their own shame as in a mantle! 30 With my mouth I will give great thanks to the Lord; I will praise him in the midst of the throng. 31 For he stands at the right hand of the needy, to save him from those who condemn him to death.
1091 God of my praise, let my prayer be answered; 2 For the mouth of the sinner is open against me in deceit: his tongue has said false things against me. 3 Words of hate are round about me; they have made war against me without cause. 4 For my love they give me back hate; but I have given myself to prayer. 5 They have put on me evil for good; hate in exchange for my love.
6 Put an evil man over him; and let one be placed at his right hand to say evil of him. 7 When he is judged, let the decision go against him; and may his prayer become sin. 8 Let his life be short; let another take his position of authority. 9 Let his children have no father, and his wife be made a widow. 10 Let his children be wanderers, looking to others for their food; let them be sent away from the company of their friends. 11 Let his creditor take all his goods; and let others have the profit of his work. 12 Let no man have pity on him, or give help to his children when he is dead. 13 Let his seed be cut off; in the coming generation let their name go out of memory. 14 Let the Lord keep in mind the wrongdoing of his fathers; and may the sin of his mother have no forgiveness. 15 Let them be ever before the eyes of the Lord, so that the memory of them may be cut off from the earth. 16 Because he had no mercy, but was cruel to the low and the poor, designing the death of the broken-hearted. 17 As he took pleasure in cursing, so let it come on him; and as he had no delight in blessing, let it be far from him. 18 He put on cursing like a robe, and it has come into his body like water, and into his bones like oil. 19 Let it be to him as a robe which he puts on, let it be like a band which is round him at all times. 20 Let this be the reward given to my haters from the Lord, and to those who say evil of my soul.
21 But, O Lord God, give me your help, because of your name; take me out of danger, because your mercy is good. 22 For I am poor and in need, and my heart is wounded in me. 23 I am gone like the shade when it is stretched out: I am forced out of my place like a locust. 24 My knees are feeble for need of food; there is no fat on my bones. 25 As for me, they make sport of me; shaking their heads when they see me. 26 Give me help, O Lord my God; in your mercy be my saviour; 27 So that they may see that it is the work of your hand; that you, Lord, have done it. 28 They may give curses but you give blessing; when they come up against me, put them to shame; but let your servant be glad. 29 Let my haters be clothed with shame, covering themselves with shame as with a robe. 30 I will give the Lord great praise with my mouth; yes, I will give praise to him among all the people. 31 For he is ever at the right hand of the poor, to take him out of the hands of those who go after his soul.
