Help Me, O Lord My God
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.
aBe not silent, O bGod of my praise!
2 For wicked and adeceitful mouths are opened against me,
speaking against me with lying tongues.
3 They encircle me with words of hate,
and attack me awithout cause.
4 In return for my love they aaccuse me,
but I bgive myself to prayer.
5 So they areward me evil for good,
and hatred for my love.
6 aAppoint a wicked man bagainst him;
let an accuser stand cat his right hand.
7 When he is tried, let him come forth guilty;
let his aprayer be counted as sin!
8 May his adays be few;
may banother take his coffice!
9 May his achildren be fatherless
and his wife a widow!
10 May his children awander about and beg,
bseeking food far from the ruins they inhabit!
11 May athe creditor seize all that he has;
may astrangers plunder the fruits of his toil!
12 Let there be none to aextend kindness to him,
nor any to bpity his fatherless children!
13 May his aposterity be cut off;
may his bname be blotted out in the second generation!
14 May athe iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the Lord,
and let not the sin of his mother be bblotted out!
15 aLet them be before the Lord continually,
that he may bcut off the memory of them from the earth!
16 For he did not remember to show kindness,
but pursued athe poor and needy
and bthe brokenhearted, to put them to death.
17 aHe loved to curse; let curses come upon him!
He did not delight in blessing; may it be far from him!
18 He aclothed himself with cursing as his coat;
may it bsoak into his body like water,
like oil into his bones!
19 May it be like a garment that he wraps around him,
like a belt that he puts on every day!
20 May this be the reward of my aaccusers from the Lord,
of those who speak evil against my life!
21 But you, O God my Lord,
deal on my behalf afor your name’s sake;
because your bsteadfast love is good, deliver me!
22 For I am apoor and needy,
and my heart is stricken within me.
23 I am gone like aa shadow at evening;
I am bshaken off like a locust.
24 My knees are weak athrough fasting;
my bbody has become gaunt, with no fat.
25 I am aan object of scorn to my accusers;
when they see me, they bwag their heads.
26 aHelp me, O Lord my God!
Save me according to your steadfast love!
27 Let them aknow that this is your hand;
you, O Lord, have done it!
28 aLet them curse, but you will bless!
They arise and are put to shame, but byour servant will be glad!
29 May my accusers be aclothed with dishonor;
may they bbe wrapped in their own shame as in a cloak!
30 With my mouth I will give great thanks to the Lord;
I will apraise him in the midst of the throng.
31 For he stands aat the right hand of the needy one,
to save him from those who condemn his soul to death.