Read the Bible

Vengeance Invoked upon Adversaries.

^1 (C1)God of my praise,
^(C2)Do not be silent!

² For they have opened a ^(F1)wicked and ^(C1)deceitful mouth against me;
They have spoken ^(F2)against me with a ^(C2)lying tongue.

³ They have also surrounded me with words of hatred,
And have fought against me ^(C1)without cause.

⁴ In return ^(C1)for my love they act as my accusers;
But ^(C2)I am in prayer.

⁵ So they have ^(F1)(C1)repaid me evil for good,
And ^(C2)hatred for my love.

⁶ Appoint a wicked person over him,
And may an ^(F1)(C1)accuser stand at his right hand.

⁷ When he is judged, may he ^(C1)come out guilty,
And may his ^(C2)prayer become sin.

⁸ May ^(C1)his days be few;
May ^(C2)another take his office.

⁹ May his ^(C1)children be fatherless,
And his ^(C2)wife a widow.

¹⁰ May his ^(C1)children wander about and beg;
And may they ^(C2)seek sustenance ^(F1)far from their ruined homes.

¹¹ May ^(C1)the creditor ^(F1)seize everything that he has,
And may ^(C2)strangers plunder the product of his labor.

¹² May there be none to ^(F1)(C1)extend kindness to him,
Nor ^(C2)any to be gracious to his fatherless children.

¹³ May his ^(C1)descendants be ^(F1)eliminated;
May their ^(C2)name be wiped out in a following generation.

¹⁴ May ^(C1)the guilt of his fathers be remembered ^(F1)before the LORD,
And do not let the sin of his mother be ^(C2)wiped out.

¹⁵ May ^(C1)they be before the LORD continually,
So that He may ^(C2)eliminate their memory from the earth;

¹⁶ Because he did not remember to show mercy,
But persecuted the ^(C1)afflicted and needy person,
And the ^(C2)despondent in heart, to ^(C3)put them to death.

¹⁷ He also loved cursing, so ^(C1)it came to him;
And he did not delight in blessing, so it was far from him.

¹⁸ But he ^(C1)clothed himself with cursing as with his garment,
And it ^(C2)entered ^(F1)his body like water,
And like oil into his bones.

¹⁹ May it be to him as ^(C1)a garment with which he covers himself,
And as a belt which he constantly ^(C2)wears around himself.

²⁰ May this be the ^(C1)reward of my accusers from the LORD,
And of those who ^(C2)speak evil against my soul.

²¹ But You, ^(F1)GOD, the Lord, deal kindly with me ^(C1)for the sake of Your name;
Because ^(C2)Your mercy is good, rescue me;

²² For ^(C1)I am afflicted and needy,
And ^(F1)my heart is ^(C2)wounded within me.

²³ I am passing ^(C1)like a shadow when it lengthens;
I am shaken off ^(C2)like the locust.

²⁴ My ^(C1)knees ^(F1)are weak from ^(C2)fasting,
And my flesh has grown lean, without fatness.

²⁵ I also have become a ^(C1)disgrace to them;
When they see me, they ^(C2)shake their head.

^26 (C1)Help me, LORD my God;
Save me according to Your mercy.

^27 (F1)And may they ^(C1)know that this is Your hand;
You, LORD, have done it.

^28 (C1)They will curse, but You bless;
When they arise, they will be ashamed,
But Your ^(C2)servant will be glad.

^29 (F1)May ^(C1)my accusers be clothed with dishonor,
And ^(F2)may they ^(C2)cover themselves with their own shame as with a robe.

³⁰ With my mouth I will give thanks abundantly to the LORD;
And ^(C1)I will praise Him in the midst of many.

³¹ For He stands ^(C1)at the right hand of the needy,
To save him from those who ^(C2)judge his soul.