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Deus, laudem

1  Hold not your tongue, O God of my praise, *
for the mouth of the ungodly, the mouth of the deceitful 
is opened upon me.
2  They have spoken against me with false tongues; *
they encompassed me with words of hatred, and fought 
against me without a cause.
3  In return for the love that I had for them, they have become
  my adversaries; *
but I give myself to prayer.
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4  Thus have they rewarded me evil for good, *
and hatred for my love.
5  Set an ungodly man to be ruler over him, *
and let an accuser stand at his right hand.
6  When judgment is given, let him be condemned, *
and let sentence be passed on him for guilt.
7  Let his days be few, *
and let another take his office.
8  Let his children be fatherless *
and his wife a widow.
9  Let his children be vagabonds and beg their bread; *
let them be driven out, even from desolate places.
10  Let the creditor consume all that he has, *
and let strangers take his labor for spoil.
11  Let there be no one to pity him, *
nor to have compassion upon his fatherless children.
12  Let his posterity be destroyed, *
and in the next generation let his name be blotted out.
13  Let the wickedness of his fathers be held in remembrance
  in the sight of the Lord, *
and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out.
14  Let them be always before the Lord, *
that he may root out the memorial of them from the earth, 
15  Because he was not minded to do good, *
but persecuted to death the poor and needy, and those 
who were brokenhearted.
16  His delight was in cursing; let curses come upon him; *
he loved not blessing; therefore let it be far from him.
17  He clothed himself with cursing as with a garment, *
so let it soak into his body like water, and like oil 
into his bones.
18  Let it be to him as the cloak that he has on *
and as the belt that he always wears.

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19  Let this be the recompense from the Lord to my enemies, *
and to those who speak evil against my soul.
20  But deal with me, O Lord God, according to your Name; *
for sweet is your mercy. 
21  O deliver me, for I am helpless and poor, *
and my heart is wounded within me.
22  I disappear like the shadow that lengthens, *
and am shaken off like a grasshopper.
23  My knees are weak through fasting; *
my flesh is grown lean for want of nourishment.
24  I have become a reproach to them; *
when they look on me, they shake their heads.
25  Help me, O Lord my God; *
save me according to your mercy;
26  And they shall know that this is your hand, *
and that you, O Lord, have done it.
27  Though they curse, yet you bless; *
let them be confounded who rise up against me, 
but let your servant rejoice.
28  Let my adversaries be clothed with shame, *
and let them cover themselves with their own disgrace 
as with a cloak.
29  As for me, I will give great thanks unto the Lord
  with my mouth, *
and praise him among the multitude,
30  For he shall stand at the right hand of the poor, *
to save their souls from the unrighteous judges.
