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When they are ^(bd)diminished and ^(be)bowed down Through oppression, misery and sorrow,

He ^(bf)pours contempt upon ^[z]princes And ^(bg)makes them wander ^(bh)in a pathless waste.

But He ^(bi)sets the needy ^[aa]securely on high away from affliction, And ^(bj)makes his families like a flock.

The ^(bk)upright see it and are glad; But all ^(bl)unrighteousness shuts its mouth.

Who is ^(bm)wise? Let him give heed to these things, And consider the ^(bn)lovingkindnesses of the Lord .

A Song, a Psalm of David.

^(a)My heart is steadfast, O God; I will sing, I will sing praises, even with my ^[a]soul.

Awake, harp and lyre; I will awaken the dawn!

I will give thanks to You, O Lord , among the peoples, And I will sing praises to You among the nations.

For Your ^(b)lovingkindness is great ^(c)above the heavens, And Your truth reaches to the skies.

^(d)Be exalted, O God, above the heavens, And Your glory above all the earth.

^(e)That Your beloved may be delivered, Save with Your right hand, and answer me!

God has spoken in His ^[b]holiness: "I will exult, I will portion out Shechem And measure out the valley of Succoth.

"Gilead is Mine, Manasseh is Mine; Ephraim also is the ^[c]helmet of My head; ^(f)Judah is My ^[d]scepter.

"Moab is My washbowl; Over Edom I shall throw My shoe; Over Philistia I will shout aloud."

^(g)Who will bring me into the besieged city? Who ^[e]will lead me to Edom?

Have not You Yourself, O God, ^(h)rejected us? And will You not go forth with our armies, O God?

Oh give us help against the adversary, For ⁽ⁱ⁾deliverance ^[f]by man is in vain.

^[g]Through God we will do valiantly, And ^(j)it is He who shall tread down our adversaries.

For the choir director. A Psalm of David.

O ^(a)God of my praise, ^(b)Do not be silent!

For they have opened the ^[a]wicked and ^(c)deceitful mouth against me; They have spoken ^[b]against me with a ^(d)lying tongue.

They have also surrounded me with words of hatred, And fought against me ^(e)without cause.

In return ^(f)for my love they act as my accusers; But ^(g)I am in prayer.

Thus they have ^[c](h)repaid me evil for good And ⁽ⁱ⁾hatred for my love.

Appoint a wicked man over him, And let an ^[d](j)accuser stand at his right hand.

When he is judged, let him ^(k)come forth guilty, And let his ^(l)prayer become sin.

Let ^(m)his days be few; Let ⁽ⁿ⁾another take his office.

Let his ^(o)children be fatherless And his ^(p)wife a widow.

Let his ^(q)children wander about and beg; And let them ^(r)seek sustenance ^[e]far from their ruined homes.

Let ^(s)the creditor ^[f]seize all that he has, And let ^(t)strangers plunder the product of his labor.

Let there be none to ^[g](u)extend lovingkindness to him, Nor ^(v)any to be gracious to his fatherless children.

Let his ^(w)posterity be ^[h]cut off; In a following generation let their ^(x)name be blotted out.

Let ^(y)the iniquity of his fathers be remembered ^[i]before the Lord , And do not let the sin of his mother be ^(z)blotted out.

Let ^(aa)them be before the Lord continually, That He may ^(ab)cut off their memory from the earth;

Because he did not remember to show lovingkindness, But persecuted the ^(ac)afflicted and needy man, And the ^(ad)despondent in heart, to ^(ae)put them to death.

He also loved cursing, so ^(af)it came to him; And he did not delight in blessing, so it was far from him.

But he ^(ag)clothed himself with cursing as with his garment, And it ^(ah)entered into ^[j]his body like water And like oil into his bones.

Let it be to him as ^(ai)a garment with which he covers himself, And for a belt with which he constantly ^(aj)girds himself.

^[k]Let this be the ^(ak)reward of my accusers from the Lord , And of those who ^(al)speak evil against my soul.

But You, O ^[l] God , the Lord, deal kindly with me ^(am)for Your name's sake; Because ^(an)Your lovingkindness is good, deliver me;

For ^(ao)I am afflicted and needy, And ^[m]my heart is ^(ap)wounded within me.

I am passing ^(aq)like a shadow when it lengthens; I am shaken off ^(ar)like the locust.

My ^(as)knees ^[n]are weak from ^(at)fasting, And my flesh has grown lean, without fatness.

I also have become a ^(au)reproach to them; When they see me, they ^(av)wag their head.

^(aw)Help me, O Lord my God; Save me according to Your lovingkindness.

^[o]And let them ^(ax)know that this is Your hand; You, Lord , have done it.

^(ay)Let them curse, but You bless; When they arise, they shall be ashamed, But Your ^(az)servant shall be glad.

^[p]Let ^(ba)my accusers be clothed with dishonor, And ^[q]let them ^(bb)cover themselves with their own shame as with a robe.

With my mouth I will give thanks abundantly to the Lord ; And in the midst of many ^(bc)I will praise Him.

For He stands ^(bd)at the right hand of the needy, To save him from those who ^(be)judge his soul.