¹ To him that excelleth. A Psalme of David. Holde not thy tongue, O God of my praise.

² For the mouth of the wicked, and the mouth full of deceite are opened vpon me: they haue spoken to me with a lying tongue.

³ They compassed me about also with words of hatred, and fought against me without a cause.

⁴ For my friendship they were mine aduersaries, but I gaue my selfe to praier.

⁵ And they haue rewarded me euil for good, and hatred for my friendship.

⁶ Set thou the wicked ouer him, and let the aduersarie stand at his right hand.

⁷ Whe he shalbe iudged, let him be condemned, and let his praier be turned into sinne.

⁸ Let his daies be fewe, and let another take his charge.

⁹ Let his children be fatherlesse, and his wife a widowe.

¹⁰ Let his children be vagabonds and beg and seeke bread, comming out of their places destroyed.

¹¹ Let the extortioner catch al that he hath, and let the strangers spoile his labour.

¹² Let there be none to extend mercie vnto him: neither let there be any to shewe mercie vpon his fatherlesse children.

¹³ Let his posteritie be destroied, and in the generation following let their name be put out.

¹⁴ Let the iniquitie of his fathers bee had in remembrance with the Lord: and let not the sinne of his mother be done away.

¹⁵ But let them alway be before the Lord, that he may cut off their memorial from ye earth.

¹⁶ Because he remembred not to shew mercie, but persecuted the afflicted and poore man, and the sorowfull hearted to slay him.

¹⁷ As he loued cursing, so shall it come vnto him, and as he loued not blessing, so shall it be farre from him.

¹⁸ As he clothed himselfe with cursing like a rayment, so shall it come into his bowels like water, and like oyle into his bones.

¹⁹ Let it be vnto him as a garment to couer him, and for a girdle, wherewith he shalbe alway girded.

²⁰ Let this be the rewarde of mine aduersarie from the Lord, and of them, that speake euill against my soule.

²¹ But thou, O Lord my God, deale with me according vnto thy Name: deliuer me, (for thy mercie is good)

²² Because I am poore and needie, and mine heart is wounded within me.

²³ I depart like the shadowe that declineth, and am shaken off as the grashopper.

²⁴ My knees are weake through fasting, and my flesh hath lost all fatnes.

²⁵ I became also a rebuke vnto them: they that looked vpon me, shaked their heads.

²⁶ Helpe me, O Lord my God: saue me according to thy mercie.

²⁷ And they shall know, that this is thine hand, and that thou, Lord, hast done it.

²⁸ Though they curse, yet thou wilt blesse: they shall arise and be confounded, but thy seruant shall reioyce.

²⁹ Let mine aduersaries be clothed with shame, and let them couer themselues with their confusion, as with a cloke.

³⁰ I will giue thankes vnto the Lord greatly with my mouth and praise him among ye multitude.

³¹ For he will stand at the right hand of the poore, to saue him from them that woulde condemne his soule.