| 1 | To the chief music-maker. Of David. A Psalm. 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. |