1 I give praise to You, O God. Do not be quiet.

2 F or sinners and liars have opened their mouths against me. They have spoken against me with lying tongues.

3 T hey have gathered around me with words of hate. They fought against me for no reason.

4 I give them my love but they speak against me in return. But I am in prayer.

5 T hey pay me what is bad for what is good. They give me hate for my love.

6 L et a sinful man have power over him. Let one who speaks against him stand at his right hand.

7 W hen he is tried, let him be found guilty. And may his prayer become sin.

8 L et his days be few. Let another person take over his work.

9 L et his children be without a father. And let his wife be without a husband.

10 M ay his children go around begging. And may they look for food far from their destroyed homes.

11 L et the one to whom he owes money take all that he has. May strangers take away all he has worked for.

12 M ay no one show him kindness. Let no one pity his children who have no father.

13 L et his children be cut off. Do not let their family name be remembered by the people-to-come.

14 L et the sins of his fathers be remembered by the Lord, and do not let the sins of his mother be forgotten.

15 M ay these sins always be before the Lord. So He may not let them be remembered on the earth.

16 B ecause he did not remember to show loving-kindness. Instead he made it hard for the poor and those in need and those with a broken heart. He even put them to death.

17 H e loved to curse others, so may it come to him. He did not like to have good come to others, so good was far from him.

18 H e dressed himself with cursing as with a coat. They came into his body like water and into his bones like oil.

19 M ay they be like clothing that covers him and like a belt that he always wears.

20 L et this be what the Lord pays to those who speak against me and wish bad things would happen to me.

21 B ut You, O God, the Lord, be kind to me because of Your name. Take me out of trouble because Your loving-kindness is good.

22 F or I am in trouble and in need. And my heart is hurt within me.

23 I am passing like an evening shadow. I am shaken off like a locust.

24 M y knees are weak from going without food. And my body has lost all its fat.

25 O thers laugh at me. They look at me and shake their heads.

26 H elp me, O Lord my God! Save me by Your loving-kindness.

27 L et them know that this is Your hand and that You, O Lord, have done it.

28 L et them hope that bad things will happen. But You make good things happen. Let them be ashamed when they rise up against me. But let Your servant be full of joy.

29 L et those who speak against me be dressed with shame. Let them cover themselves with shame as with a coat.

30 I will give thanks to the Lord in a loud voice. I will praise Him among many people.

31 F or He stands at the right hand of the one in need to save him from those who judge his soul.