¹ To the Overseer. --A Psalm of David. O God of my praise, be not silent,

² For the mouth of wickedness, and the mouth of deceit, Against me they have opened, They have spoken with me--A tongue of falsehood, and words of hatred!

³ They have compassed me about, And they fight me without cause.

⁴ For my love they oppose me, and I--prayer!

⁵ And they set against me evil for good, And hatred for my love.

⁶ Appoint Thou over him the wicked, And an adversary standeth at his right hand.

⁷ In his being judged, he goeth forth wicked, And his prayer is for sin.

⁸ His days are few, his oversight another taketh,

⁹ His sons are fatherless, and his wife a widow.

¹⁰ And wander continually do his sons, Yea, they have begged, And have sought out of their dry places.

¹¹ An exactor layeth a snare for all that he hath, And strangers spoil his labour.

¹² He hath none to extend kindness, Nor is there one showing favour to his orphans.

¹³ His posterity is for cutting off, In another generation is their name blotted out.

¹⁴ The iniquity of his fathers Is remembered unto Jehovah, And the sin of his mother is not blotted out.

¹⁵ They are before Jehovah continually, And He cutteth off from earth their memorial.

¹⁶ Because that he hath not remembered to do kindness, And pursueth the poor man and needy, And the smitten of heart--to slay,

¹⁷ And he loveth reviling, and it meeteth him, And he hath not delighted in blessing, And it is far from him.

¹⁸ And he putteth on reviling as his robe, And it cometh in as water into his midst, And as oil into his bones.

¹⁹ It is to him as apparel--he covereth himself, And for a continual girdle he girdeth it on.

²⁰ This is the wage of mine accusers from Jehovah, And of those speaking evil against my soul.

²¹ And Thou, O Jehovah Lord, Deal with me for Thy name's sake, Because Thy kindness is good, deliver me.

²² For I am poor and needy, And my heart hath been pierced in my midst.

²³ As a shadow when it is stretched out I have gone, I have been driven away as a locust.

²⁴ My knees have been feeble from fasting, And my flesh hath failed of fatness.

²⁵ And I--I have been a reproach to them, They see me, they shake their head.

²⁶ Help me, O Jehovah my God, Save me, according to Thy kindness.

²⁷ And they know that this is Thy hand, Thou, O Jehovah, Thou hast done it.

²⁸ They revile, and Thou dost bless, They have risen, and are ashamed, And Thy servant doth rejoice.

²⁹ Mine accusers put on blushing, and are covered, As an upper robe is their shame.

³⁰ I thank Jehovah greatly with my mouth, And in the midst of many I praise Him,

³¹ For He standeth at the right hand of the needy, To save from those judging his soul.