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¹ To him that excelleth. A Psalme of Dauid. 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 vagabounds & 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 extende 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 Lorde, 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 Lorde 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 shal know, that this is thine hand, and that thou, Lord, hast done it.²⁸ Though they curse, yet thou wilt blesse: they shall arise & 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 Lorde greatly with my mouth & 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.