Psalm 109

(from Day 22 Evening Prayer)

Deus, laudem

1. HOLD not thy tongue, O God of my praise : for the mouth of the ungodly, yea, the mouth of the deceitful is opened upon me.
2. And they have spoken against me with false tongues : they compassed me about also with words of hatred, and fought against me without a cause.
3. For the love that I had unto them, lo, they take now my contrary part : but I give myself unto prayer.
4. Thus have they rewarded me evil for good : and hatred for my good will.
5. Set thou an ungodly man to be ruler over him : and let Satan stand at his right hand.
6. When sentence is given upon him, let him be condemned : and let his prayer be turned into sin.
7. Let his days be few : and let another take his office.
8. Let his children be fatherless : and his wife a widow.
9. Let his children be vagabonds, and beg their bread : let them seek it also out of desolate places.
10. Let the extortioner consume all that he hath : and let the stranger spoil his labour.
11. Let there be no man to pity him : nor to have compassion upon his fatherless children.
12. Let his posterity be destroyed : and in the next generation let his name be clean put out.
13. Let the wickedness of his fathers be had in remembrance in the sight of the Lord : and let not the sin of his mother be done away.
14. Let them alway be before the Lord : that he may root out the memorial of them from off the earth.
15. And that, because his mind was not to do good : but persecuted the poor helpless man, that he might slay him that was vexed at the heart.
16. His delight was in cursing, and it shall happen unto him : he loved not blessing, therefore shall it be far from him.
17. He clothed himself with cursing, like as with a raiment : and it shall come into his bowels like water, and like oil into his bones.
18. Let it be unto him as the cloke that he hath upon him : and as the girdle that he is alway girded withal.
19. Let it thus happen from the Lord unto mine enemies : and to those that speak evil against my soul.
20. But deal thou with me, O Lord God, according unto thy Name : for sweet is thy mercy.
21. O deliver me, for I am helpless and poor : and my heart is wounded within me.
22. I go hence like the shadow that departeth : and am driven away as the grasshopper.
23. My knees are weak through fasting : my flesh is dried up for want of fatness.
24. I became also a reproach unto them : they that looked upon me shaked their heads.
25. Help me, O Lord my God : O save me according to thy mercy.
26. And they shall know, how that this is thy hand : and that thou, Lord, hast done it.
27. Though they curse, yet bless thou : and let them be confounded that rise up against me; but let thy servant rejoice.
28. Let mine adversaries be clothed with shame : and let them cover themselves with their own confusion, as with a cloke.
29. As for me, I will give great thanks unto the Lord with my mouth : and praise him among the multitude.
30. For he shall stand at the right hand of the poor : to save his soul from the unrighteous judges.