2 for the mouth of the sinner, and the mouth of the guileful man, is opened on me. They spake against me with a guileful [or treacherous] tongue,
3 and they encompassed me with words of hatred; and fought against me without cause.
4 For that thing that they should love me, they backbited me; but I prayed for them.
5 And they setted against me evils for goods; and hatred for my love.
6 Ordain thou a sinner on him; and the devil stand on his right half.
7 When he is deemed, go he out condemned; and his prayer be made into sin.
8 His days be made few; and another take his bishopric.
9 His sons be made fatherless; and his wife a widow.
10 His sons trembling be borne over, and beg; and be they cast out of their habitations.
11 An usurer seek all his chattel; and aliens ravish his travails.
12 None helper be to him; neither any be that have mercy on his motherless children.
13 His sons be made into perishing; the name of him be done away in one generation.
14 The wickedness of his fathers come again into mind in the sight of the Lord; and the sin of his mother be not done away.
15 Be they made ever[more] against the Lord; and the mind of them perish from earth.
16 For that thing that he thought not to do mercy, and he pursued a poor man and a beggar; and to slay a man compunct in heart.
17 And he loved cursing, and it shall come to him; and he would not give blessing, and it shall be made far from him.
18 And he clothed cursing as a cloth, and it entered as water into his inner things; and as oil in his bones.
19 Be it made to him as a cloth, with which he is covered; and as a girdle, with which he is ever[more] girded.
20 This is the work of them that back-bite me with the Lord; and that speak evils against my life.
21 And thou, Lord God, do with me for thy name; for thy mercy is sweet. Deliver thou me,
22 for I am needy and poor; and mine heart is troubled within me.
23 I am taken away as a shadow, when it boweth away; and I am shaken away as locusts.
24 My knees be made feeble with fasting; and my flesh was changed for oil.
25 And I am made a shame to them; they saw me, and moved their heads.
26 My Lord God, help thou me; make thou me safe by thy mercy.
27 And they shall know, that this is thine hand; and thou, Lord, hast done it.
28 And they shall curse, and thou shalt bless, they that rise against me, be shamed; but thy servant shall be glad.
29 They that backbite me, be clothed with shame; and be they covered with their shame, as with a double cloth.
30 I shall acknowledge to the Lord greatly with my mouth; and I shall praise him in the middle of many men.
31 Which stood nigh on the right half of a poor man; to make safe my soul from pursuers.
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