¹ For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David. God of my praise, do not remain silent,

² for they have opened the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of deceit against me. They have spoken to 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 adversaries; but I am in prayer.

⁵ They have rewarded me evil for good, and hatred for my love.

⁶ Set a wicked man over him. Let an adversary stand at his right hand.

⁷ When he is judged, let him come forth guilty. Let his prayer be turned into sin.

⁸ Let his days be few. Let another take his office.¹

1. Acts 1:20

⁹ Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow.

¹⁰ Let his children be wandering beggars. Let them be sought from their ruins.

¹¹ Let the creditor seize all that he has. Let strangers plunder the fruit of his labor.

¹² Let there be none to extend kindness to him, neither let there be any to have pity on his fatherless children.

¹³ Let his posterity be cut off. In the generation following let their name be blotted out.

¹⁴ Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered by Jehovah. Do not let the sin of his mother be blotted out.

¹⁵ Let them be before Jehovah continually, that he may cut off the memory of them from the earth;

¹⁶ because he did not remember to show kindness, but persecuted the poor and needy man, the broken in heart, to kill them.

¹⁷ Yes, he loved cursing, and it came to him. He did not delight in blessing, and it was far from him.

¹⁸ He clothed himself also with cursing as with his garment. It came into his inward parts like water, like oil into his bones.

¹⁹ Let it be to him as the clothing with which he covers himself, for the belt that is always around him.

²⁰ This is the reward of my adversaries from Jehovah, of those who speak evil against my soul.

²¹ But deal with me, Jehovah the Lord, for your name's sake, because your loving kindness is good, deliver me;

²² for I am poor and needy. My heart is wounded within me.

²³ I fade away like an evening shadow. I am shaken off like a locust.

²⁴ My knees are weak through fasting. My body is thin and lacks fat.

²⁵ I have also become a reproach to them. When they see me, they shake their head.

²⁶ Help me, Jehovah, my God. Save me according to your loving kindness;

²⁷ that they may know that this is your hand; that you, Jehovah, have done it.

²⁸ They may curse, but you bless. When they arise, they will be shamed, but your servant shall rejoice.

²⁹ Let my adversaries be clothed with dishonor. Let them cover themselves with their own shame as with a robe.

³⁰ I will give great thanks to Jehovah with my mouth. Yes, I will praise him among the multitude.

³¹ For he will stand at the right hand of the needy, to save him from those who judge his soul.