1 Vir die musiekleier. Van Dawid. 'n Psalm. o God van my lof, moenie swyg nie!

2 Want hulle het die mond van die goddelose en die mond van bedrog teen my oopgemaak; hulle het met my gespreek met 'n leuenagtige tong,

3 en my met woorde van haat omring; ja, hulle het my sonder oorsaak beveg.

4 Vir my liefde behandel hulle my vyandig, terwyl ek tog gedurig bid.

5 En hulle het my kwaad vir goed opgelê en haat vir my liefde.

6 Stel 'n goddelose oor hom en laat 'n teëstander staan aan sy regterhand.

7 As hy geoordeel word, laat hom as skuldige uitgaan, en laat sy gebed sonde word.

8 Laat sy dae min wees; laat 'n ander sy amp neem.

9 Laat sy kinders wese word en sy vrou 'n weduwee;

10 en laat sy kinders oral rondswerwe en bedel en brood soek, weg van hulle puinhope af.

11 Laat die skuldeiser alles neem wat hy het, en laat vreemdes sy goed buitmaak.

12 Laat hom niemand hê wie se guns bestendig is, en laat niemand hom oor sy wese ontferm nie.

13 Laat sy nakomelinge uitgeroei word; laat hulle naam uitgedelg word in die volgende geslag.

14 Laat die HERE gedagtig wees aan die ongeregtigheid van sy vaders, en laat die sonde van sy moeder nie uitgedelg word nie.

15 Laat die altyddeur voor die HERE wees, dat Hy hulle gedagtenis van die aarde af kan uitroei;

16 omdat hy nie daaraan gedink het om guns te bewys nie, maar die ellendige en behoeftige man vervolg het en die moedelose van hart, om hom dood te maak.

17 Ja, hy het die vloek liefgehad en -- dit het oor hom gekom; en hy het geen welbehae gehad in die seën nie en -- dit het ver van hom af gebly.

18 Hy het die vloek aangetrek soos 'n kleed en -- dit het soos water in sy binneste gekom en soos olie in sy gebeente.

19 Laat dit vir hom wees soos 'n kleed waarin hy hom toedraai, en 'n gordel wat hy altyddeur ombind.

20 Laat dit die loon van my teëstanders wees vanweë die HERE, en van hulle wat kwaad spreek teen my.

21 Maar U, o HERE Here, maak dit goed met my om u Naam ontwil; omdat u goedertierenheid goed is, red my.

22 Want ek is ellendig en behoeftig, en my hart is deurwond in my binneste.

23 Ek gaan heen soos 'n skaduwee as dit lank word; ek is afgeskud soos 'n sprinkaan.

24 My knieë knik van vas, en my vlees het maer geword, sonder vet.

25 En ,k het vir hulle 'n smaad geword; as hulle my sien, skud hulle hul hoof.

26 Help my, HERE my God! Verlos my na u goedertierenheid,

27 sodat hulle kan weet dat dit u hand is: U, o HERE, het dit gedoen.

28 Laat hulle vloek, maar U, seën U. Hulle het opgestaan en beskaamd geword, maar u kneg is bly.

29 Laat my teëstanders beklee word met smaad en hulle toedraai in hul skande soos in 'n mantel.

30 Ek sal die HERE hardop loof met my mond, en onder baie sal ek Hom prys;

31 want Hy staan aan die regterhand van die behoeftige om hom te verlos van die wat hom veroordeel.

1 To the chief music-maker. Of David. A Psalm. God of my praise, let my prayer be answered;

2 For the mouth of the sinner is open against me in deceit: his tongue has said false things against me.

3 Words of hate are round about me; they have made war against me without cause.

4 For my love they give me back hate; but I have given myself to prayer.

5 They have put on me evil for good; hate in exchange for my love.

6 Put an evil man over him; and let one be placed at his right hand to say evil of him.

7 When he is judged, let the decision go against him; and may his prayer become sin.

8 Let his life be short; let another take his position of authority.

9 Let his children have no father, and his wife be made a widow.

10 Let his children be wanderers, looking to others for their food; let them be sent away from the company of their friends.

11 Let his creditor take all his goods; and let others have the profit of his work.

12 Let no man have pity on him, or give help to his children when he is dead.

13 Let his seed be cut off; in the coming generation let their name go out of memory.

14 Let the Lord keep in mind the wrongdoing of his fathers; and may the sin of his mother have no forgiveness.

15 Let them be ever before the eyes of the Lord, so that the memory of them may be cut off from the earth.

16 Because he had no mercy, but was cruel to the low and the poor, designing the death of the broken-hearted.

17 As he took pleasure in cursing, so let it come on him; and as he had no delight in blessing, let it be far from him.

18 He put on cursing like a robe, and it has come into his body like water, and into his bones like oil.

19 Let it be to him as a robe which he puts on, let it be like a band which is round him at all times.

20 Let this be the reward given to my haters from the Lord, and to those who say evil of my soul.

21 But, O Lord God, give me your help, because of your name; take me out of danger, because your mercy is good.

22 For I am poor and in need, and my heart is wounded in me.

23 I am gone like the shade when it is stretched out: I am forced out of my place like a locust.

24 My knees are feeble for need of food; there is no fat on my bones.

25 As for me, they make sport of me; shaking their heads when they see me.

26 Give me help, O Lord my God; in your mercy be my saviour;

27 So that they may see that it is the work of your hand; that you, Lord, have done it.

28 They may give curses but you give blessing; when they come up against me, put them to shame; but let your servant be glad.

29 Let my haters be clothed with shame, covering themselves with shame as with a robe.

30 I will give the Lord great praise with my mouth; yes, I will give praise to him among all the people.

31 For he is ever at the right hand of the poor, to take him out of the hands of those who go after his soul.