To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David

1 God of my praise, hold not thy peace:
2 For they who wicked be,
Their mouth, and mouth of guilefulness
Are open against me:
Against, me speak with lying tongue.
3 And compass me about
With words of hate: and me against
Without a cause they fought.

4 They for my love mine en'mies are
But I my prayer do make.
5 They ill for good rewarded me,
And hate for my love's sake,
6 Appoint a wicked person that
O'er him may have command;
And likewise at his right hand let
The adversary stand.

7 When he is judged, let him then
Condemned be therein:
And let the pray'r that he doth make
Be turned into sin.
8 Yea, let his days be few, and let
His charge another take.
9 His children let be fatherless,
His wife a widow make,

10 His children let be vagabonds:
Let them a begging go,
And from their places desolate,
Let them seek bread also.

[2]

11 Yea, let th' extortioner catch all
That doth to him pertain;
And let the strangers spoil what he
Did by his labour gain.
12 Let there not any be to him
That mercy may express?
Nor any one that favour may
His children fatherless.

13 Let go into perdition
The race that of him came;
In the next generation
Out-razed be his name.

14 Remembred with the Lord be his
Father's iniquity;
And of his mother let the sin
Out blotted never be.
15 Before Jehovah let them be
Continually put:
That from out of the earth he may
The mem'ry of them cut.

16 Because that he remembred not,
Compassion. to impart;
But did pursue the needy poor
To slay the broke in heart.

[3]

17 As he did cursing love, so let
The same unto him come:
And he did not in blessing joy,
So be it far him from.
18 With cursing like a robe, as he
Him cloath'd: so let it go:
Into his bowels water like,
Like oyl his bones into.

19 Like as a garment unto him
So let it him array:
And like a girdle wherewith he
May gird himself alway
20 Thus let mine adversaries be
Rewarded from the Lord,
Thus them reward against my soul
Who speak an evil word.

[4]

21 But thou Jehovah Lord, deal well
For thy name's sake with me:
Because that good thy mercy is,
O do thou set me free.
22 For poor and needy I, my heart
In me is wounded too.
23 Like falling shade I pass, I'm toss'd
As locusts too and fro.

24 Thro' fasts my knees are weak: my flesh
Its fatness doth forsake.
25 And I am their reproach, they look
At me, their heads they shake.
26 Jehovah, O my God me help
In mercy save thou me.
27 That they may know this is my hand
Lord, that its done by thee.

28 Though they do curse, yet do thou bless:
Let them ashamed be
When they arise: but let him joy
That servant is to thee.
29 Mine adversaries, O let them
With shame be cloath'd upon:
And be they cloath'd as with a cloak
With their confusion.

30 Unto Jehovah with my mouth
Give hearty thanks will I:
Yea, him among the multitude
With praise I'll glorify.
31 For he shall stand at the right hand
Of the airlifted one,
From those that do condemn his soul
To give salvation.

Source: The Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs of the Old and New-Testament: faithfully translated into English metre: for the use, edification, and comfort of the saints...especially in New-England (25th ed) #PCIX