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For the end, a Psalm of David.
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O God, pass not over my praise in silence;
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for the mouth of the sinner and the mouth of the crafty man have been opened against me: they have spoken against me with a crafty tongue.
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And they have compassed me with words of hatred; and fought against me without a cause.
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Instead of loving me, they falsely accused me: but I continued to pray.
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And they rewarded me evil for good, and hatred for my love.
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Set thou a sinner against him; and let the devil stand at his right hand.
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When he is judged, let him go forth condemned: and let his prayer become sin.
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Let his days be few: and let another take his office of overseer.
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Let his children be orphans, and his wife a widow.
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Let his children wander without a dwelling-place, and beg: let them be cast out of their habitations.
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Let his creditor exact all that belongs to him: and let strangers spoil his labours.
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Let him have no helper; neither let there be any one to have compassion on his fatherless children.
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Let his children be given up to utter destruction: in one generation let his name be blotted out.
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Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the Lord; and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out.
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Let them be before the Lord continually; and let their memorial be blotted out from the earth.
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Because he remembered not to shew mercy, but persecuted the needy and poor man, and that to slay him that was pricked in the heart.
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He loved cursing also, and it shall come upon him; and he took not pleasure in blessing, so it shall be removed far from him.
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Yea, he put on cursing as a garment, and it is come as water into his bowels, and as oil into his bones.
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Let it be to him as a garment which he puts on, and as a girdle with which he girds himself continually.
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This is the dealing of the Lord with those who falsely accuse me, and of them that speak evil against my soul.
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But thou, O Lord, Lord, deal mercifully with me, for thy name's sake: for thy mercy is good.
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Deliver me, for I am poor and needy; and my heart is troubled within me.
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I am removed as a shadow in its going down: I am tossed up and down like locusts.
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My knees are weakened through fasting, and my flesh is changed by reason of the want of oil.
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I became also a reproach to them: when they saw me they shook their heads.
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Help me, O Lord my God; and save me according to thy mercy.
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And let them know that this is thy hand; and that thou, Lord, hast wrought it.
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Let them curse, but thou shalt bless: let them that rise up against me be ashamed, but let thy servant rejoice.
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Let those that falsely accuse me be clothed with shame, and let them cover themselves with their shame as with a mantle.
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I will give thanks to the Lord abundantly with my mouth; and in the midst of many I will praise him.
31
For he stood on the right hand of the poor, to save me from them that persecute my soul.