Dec 29, 2022
For
he never thought of doing a kindness,
but hounded to death the poor
and the needy and the
brokenhearted.
He loved to
pronounce a curse—
may it come back on him.
He found no pleasure in
blessing—
may it be far from him.
He wore
cursing as his garment;
it entered into his body like
water,
into his bones like oil.
May it be like a
cloak wrapped about him,
like a belt tied forever around
him.
May this be
the Lord’s payment to my
accusers,
to those who speak evil of
me.
But
you, Sovereign Lord,
help me for your name’s sake;
out of the goodness of your love, deliver
me.
For I am poor and
needy,
and my heart is wounded within
me.
I fade away like an
evening shadow;
I am shaken off like a locust.
My knees
give way from fasting;
my body is thin and gaunt.
I am an object of
scorn to my accusers;
when they see me, they shake their
heads.
Help
me, Lord my
God;
save me according to your unfailing
love.
Let them
know that it is your hand,
that you, Lord, have done it.
While they
curse, may you bless;
may those who attack me be put to
shame,
but may your servant rejoice.
May my accusers be
clothed with disgrace
and wrapped in shame as in a
cloak.
With
my mouth I will greatly extol the Lord;
in the great throng of worshipers I will
praise him.
For he stands at the
right hand of the needy,
to save their lives from those who would condemn
them.