Psalm 109

A Psalm of David.

O thou the God of all my praise,

do thou not hold thy peace;

For mouths of wicked men to speak

against me do not cease:

The mouths of vile deceitful men

against me open'd be;

And with a false and lying tongue

they have accused me.

They did beset me round about

with words of hateful spight:

And though to them no cause I gave,

against me they did fight.

They for my love became my foes,

but I me set to pray.

Evil for good, hatred for love,

to me they did repay.

Set thou the wicked over him;

and upon his right hand

Give thou his greatest enemy,

ev'n Satan, leave to stand.

And when by thee he shall be judg'd,

let him condemned be;

And let his pray'r be turn'd to sin,

when he shall call on thee.

Few be his days, and in his room

his charge another take.

His children let be fatherless,

his wife a widow make.

His children let be vagabonds,

and beg continually;

And from their places desolate

seek bread for their supply.

Let covetous extortioners

catch all he hath away:

Of all for which he labour'd hath

let strangers make a prey.

Let there be none to pity him,

let there be none at all

That on his children fatherless

will let his mercy fall.

Let his posterity from earth

cut off for ever be,

And in the foll'wing age their name

be blotted out by thee.

Let God his father's wickedness

still to remembrance call;

And never let his mother's sin

be blotted out at all.

But let them all before the Lord

appear continually,

That he may wholly from the earth

cut off their memory.

Because he mercy minded not,

but persecuted still

The poor and needy, that he might

the broken-hearted kill.

As he in cursing pleasure took,

so let it to him fall;

As he delighted not to bless,

so bless him not at all.

As cursing he like clothes put on,

into his bowels so,

Like water, and into his bones,

like oil, down let it go.

Like to the garment let it be

which doth himself array,

And for a girdle, wherewith he

is girt about alway.

From God let this be their reward

that en'mies are to me,

And their reward that speak against

my soul maliciously.

But do thou, for thine own name's sake,

O God the Lord, for me:

Sith good and sweet thy mercy is,

from trouble set me free.

For I am poor and indigent,

afflicted sore am I,

My heart within me also is

wounded exceedingly.

I pass like a declining shade,

am like the locust tost:

My knees through fasting weaken'd are,

my flesh hath fatness lost.

I also am a vile reproach

unto them made to be;

And they that did upon me look

did shake their heads at me.

O do thou help and succour me,

who art my God and Lord:

And, for thy tender mercy's sake,

safety to me afford:

That thereby they may know that this

is thy almighty hand;

And that thou, Lord, hast done the same,

they may well understand.

Although they curse with spite, yet, Lord,

bless thou with loving voice:

Let them asham'd be when they rise;

thy servant let rejoice.

Let thou mine adversaries all

with shame be clothed over;

And let their own confusion

them, as a mantle, cover.

But as for me, I with my mouth

will greatly praise the Lord;

And I among the multitude

his praises will record.

For he shall stand at his right hand

who is in poverty,

To save him from all those that would

condemn his soul to die.