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1O thou the God of all my praise,
do thou not hold thy peace;
2For mouths of wicked men to speak
against me do not cease:
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The
mouths of vile deceitful men
against me open'd be;
And
with a false and lying tongue
they have accused me.
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3They did beset me round about
with words of hateful spite:
And
though to them no cause I gave,
against me they did fight.
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4They for my love became my foes,
but I me set to pray.
5Evil for good, hatred for love,
to me they did repay.
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6Set thou the wicked over him;
and upon his right hand
Give
thou his greatest enemy,
ev'n Satan, leave to stand.
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7And 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.
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8Few be his days, and in his room
his charge another take.
9His children let be fatherless,
his wife a widow make.
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10His children let be vagabonds,
and beg continually;
And
from their places desolate
seek bread for their supply.
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11Let covetous extortioners
catch all he hath away:
Of
all for which he labour'd hath
let strangers make a prey.
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12Let there be none to pity him,
let there be none at all
That
on his children fatherless
will let his mercy fall.
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13Let his posterity from earth
cut off for ever be,
And
in the foll'wing age their name
be blotted out by thee.
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14Let God his father's wickedness
still to remembrance call;
And
never let his mother's sin
be blotted out at all.
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15But let them all before the Lord
appear continually,
That
he may wholly from the earth
cut off their memory.
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16Because he mercy minded not,
but persecuted still
The
poor and needy, that he might
the broken-hearted kill.
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17As he in cursing pleasure took,
so let it to him fall;
As
he delighted not to bless,
so bless him not at all.
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18As cursing he like clothes put on,
into his bowels so,
Like
water, and into his bones,
like oil, down let it go.
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19Like to the garment let it be
which doth himself array,
And
for a girdle, wherewith he
is girt about alway.
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20From God let this be their reward
that en'mies are to me,
And
their reward that speak against
my soul maliciously.
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21But 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.
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22For I am poor and indigent,
afflicted sore am I,
My
heart within me also is
wounded exceedingly.
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23I pass like a declining shade,
am like the locust tost:
24My knees through fasting weaken'd are,
my flesh hath fatness lost.
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25I also am a vile reproach
unto them made to be;
And
they that did upon me look
did shake their heads at me.
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26O do thou help and succour me,
who art my God and Lord:
And,
for thy tender mercy's sake,
safety to me afford:
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27That thereby they may know that this
is thy almighty hand;
And
that thou, Lord, hast done the same,
they may well understand.
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28Although they curse with spite, yet, Lord,
bless thou with loving voice:
Let
them asham'd be when they rise;
thy servant let rejoice.
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29Let thou mine adversaries all
with shame be clothed over;
And
let their own confusion
them, as a mantle, cover.
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30But as for me, I with my mouth
will greatly praise the Lord;
And
I among the multitude
his praises will record.
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31For he shall stand at his right hand
who is in poverty,
To
save him from all those that would
condemn his soul to die.
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