Chapter 108

  Unto the end, a psalm for David. 

  O God, be not thou silent in thy praise: for the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful man is opened against me. 

  They have spoken against with deceitful tongues; and they have compassed me about with words of hatred; and have fought against me without cause. 

  Instead of making me a return of love, they detracted me: but I gave myself to prayer. 

  And they repaid me evil for good: and hatred for my love. 

  Set thou the sinner over him: and may the devil stand at his right hand. 

  When he is judged, may he go out condemned; and may his prayer be turned to sin. 

  May his days be few: and his bishopric let another take. 

  May his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow. 

  Let his children be carried about vagabonds, and beg; and let them be cast out of their dwellings. 

  May the userer search all his substance: and let strangers plunder his labours. 

  May there be none to help him: nor none to pity his fatherless offspring. 

  May his posterity be cut off; in one generation may his name be blotted out. 

  May the iniquity of his fathers be remembered in the sight of the Lord: and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out. 

  May they be before the lord continually, and let the memory of them perish from the earth: 

  because he remembered not to show mercy, 

  But persecuted the poor man and the beggar; and the broken in heart, to put him to death. 

  And he loved cursing, and it shall come unto him: and he would not have blessing, and it shall be far from him. And he put on cursing, like a garment: and it went in like water into his entrails, and like oil in his bones. 

  May it be unto him like a garment which covereth him; and like a girdle with which he is girded continually. 

  This is the work of them who detract me before the Lord; and who speak evils against my soul. 

  But thou, O Lord, do with for thy names sake: because thy mercy is sweet. Do thou deliver me. 

  for I am poor and needy, and my heart is troubled within me. 

  I am taken away like the shadow when it declineth: and I am shaken off as locusts. 

  My knees are weakened through fasting: and my flesh is changed for oil. 

  And I am become a reproach to them: they saw me and they shaked their heads, 

  Help me, O Lord my God; save me according to thy mercy. 

  And let them know that this is thy hand: and that thou, O Lord, hast done it. 

  They will curse and thou will bless: let them that rise up against me be confounded: but thy servant shall rejoice. 

  Let them that detract me be clothed with shame: and let them be covered with the their confusion as with a double cloak. 

  I will give great thanks to the Lord with my mouth: and in the midst of many I will praise him. 

  Because he hath stood at the right hand of the poor, to save my soul from persecutors