The Prayer Nobody Wants to Read Out Loud.

לַ֭מְנַצֵּחַ לְדָוִ֣ד מִזְמ֑וֹר אֱלֹהֵ֥י תְ֝הִלָּתִ֗י אַֽל־תֶּחֱרַֽשׁ׃

Be not silent, O God of my praise!

כִּ֤י פִ֪י רָשָׁ֡ע וּֽפִי־מִ֭רְמָה עָלַ֣י פָּתָ֑חוּ דִּבְּר֥וּ אִ֝תִּ֗י לְשׁ֣וֹן שָֽׁקֶר׃

[2] For wicked and deceitful mouths are opened against me, speaking against me with lying tongues.

וְדִבְרֵ֣י שִׂנְאָ֣ה סְבָב֑וּנִי וַיִּֽלָּחֲמ֥וּנִי חִנָּֽם׃

[3] They encircle me with words of hate, and attack me without cause.

תַּֽחַת־אַהֲבָתִ֥י יִשְׂטְנ֗וּנִי וַאֲנִ֥י תְפִלָּֽה׃

[4] In return for my love they accuse me, but I give myself to prayer.

וַיָּ֘שִׂ֤ימוּ עָלַ֣י רָ֭עָה תַּ֣חַת טוֹבָ֑ה וְ֝שִׂנְאָ֗ה תַּ֣חַת אַהֲבָתִֽי׃

[5] So they reward me evil for good, and hatred for my love.

הַפְקֵ֣ד עָלָ֣יו רָשָׁ֑ע וְ֝שָׂטָ֗ן יַעֲמֹ֥ד עַל־יְמִינֽוֹ׃

[6] Appoint a wicked man against him; let an accuser stand at his right hand.

בְּ֭הִשָּׁ֣פְטוֹ יֵצֵ֣א רָשָׁ֑ע וּ֝תְפִלָּת֗וֹ תִּהְיֶ֥ה לַֽחֲטָאָֽה׃

[7] When he is tried, let him come forth guilty; let his prayer be counted as sin!

יִֽהְיֽוּ־יָמָ֥יו מְעַטִּ֑ים פְּ֝קֻדָּת֗וֹ יִקַּ֥ח אַחֵֽר׃

[8] May his days be few; may another take his office!

יִֽהְיוּ־בָנָ֥יו יְתוֹמִ֑ים וְ֝אִשְׁתּוֹ אַלְמָנָֽה׃

[9] May his children be fatherless and his wife a widow!

וְנ֤וֹעַ יָנ֣וּעוּ בָנָ֣יו וְשִׁאֵ֑לוּ וְ֝דָרְשׁ֗וּ מֵחָרְבוֹתֵיהֶֽם׃

[10] May his children wander about and beg, seeking food far from the ruins they inhabit!

יְנַקֵּ֣שׁ נ֭וֹשֶׁה לְכָל־אֲשֶׁר־ל֑וֹ וְיָבֹ֖זּוּ זָרִ֣ים יְגִיעֽוֹ׃

[11] May the creditor seize all that he has; may strangers plunder the fruits of his toil!

אַל־יְהִי־ל֖וֹ מֹשֵׁ֣ךְ חָ֑סֶד וְֽאַל־יְהִ֥י ח֝וֹנֵ֗ן לִיתוֹמָֽיו׃

[12] Let there be none to extend kindness to him, nor any to pity his fatherless children!

יְהִֽי־אַחֲרִית֥וֹ לְהַכְרִ֑ית בְּד֥וֹר אַ֝חֵ֗ר יִמַּ֥ח שְׁמָֽם׃

[13] May his posterity be cut off; may his name be blotted out in the second generation!

יִזָּכֵ֤ר׀ עֲוֺ֣ן אֲ֭בֹתָיו אֶל־יְהוָ֑ה וְחַטַּ֥את אִ֝מּ֗וֹ אַל־תִּמָּֽח׃

[14] May the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the Lord , and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out!

יִהְי֣וּ נֶֽגֶד־יְהוָ֣ה תָּמִ֑יד וְיַכְרֵ֖ת מֵאֶ֣רֶץ זִכְרָֽם׃

[15] Let them be before the Lord continually, that he may cut off the memory of them from the earth!

יַ֗עַן אֲשֶׁ֤ר׀ לֹ֥א זָכַר֮ עֲשׂ֪וֹת חָ֥סֶד וַיִּרְדֹּ֡ף אִישׁ־עָנִ֣י וְ֭אֶבְיוֹן וְנִכְאֵ֨ה לֵבָ֬ב לְמוֹתֵֽת׃

[16] For he did not remember to show kindness, but pursued the poor and needy and the brokenhearted, to put them to death.

וַיֶּאֱהַ֣ב קְ֭לָלָה וַתְּבוֹאֵ֑הוּ וְֽלֹא־חָפֵ֥ץ בִּ֝בְרָכָ֗ה וַתִּרְחַ֥ק מִמֶּֽנּוּ׃

[17] He loved to curse; let curses come upon him! He did not delight in blessing; may it be far from him!

וַיִּלְבַּ֥שׁ קְלָלָ֗ה כְּמַ֫דּ֥וֹ וַתָּבֹ֣א כַמַּ֣יִם בְּקִרְבּ֑וֹ וְ֝כַשֶּׁ֗מֶן בְּעַצְמוֹתָֽיו׃

[18] He clothed himself with cursing as his coat; may it soak into his body like water, like oil into his bones!

תְּהִי־ל֖וֹ כְּבֶ֣גֶד יַעְטֶ֑ה וּ֝לְמֵ֗זַח תָּמִ֥יד יַחְגְּרֶֽהָ׃

[19] May it be like a garment that he wraps around him, like a belt that he puts on every day!

זֹ֤את פְּעֻלַּ֣ת שֹׂ֭טְנַי מֵאֵ֣ת יְהוָ֑ה וְהַדֹּבְרִ֥ים רָ֝֗ע עַל־נַפְשִֽׁי׃

[20] May this be the reward of my accusers from the Lord , of those who speak evil against my life!

וְאַתָּ֤ה׀ יְה֘וִ֤ה אֲדֹנָ֗י עֲ‍ֽשֵׂה־אִ֭תִּי לְמַ֣עַן שְׁמֶ֑ךָ כִּי־ט֥וֹב חַ֝סְדְּךָ֗ הַצִּילֵֽנִי׃

[21] But you, O God my Lord, deal on my behalf for your name's sake; because your steadfast love is good, deliver me!

כִּֽי־עָנִ֣י וְאֶבְי֣וֹן אָנֹ֑כִי וְ֝לִבִּ֗י חָלַ֥ל בְּקִרְבִּֽי׃

[22] For I am poor and needy, and my heart is stricken within me.

כְּצֵל־כִּנְטוֹת֥וֹ נֶהֱלָ֑כְתִּי נִ֝נְעַ֗רְתִּי כָּֽאַרְבֶּֽה׃

[23] I am gone like a shadow at evening; I am shaken off like a locust.

בִּ֭רְכַּי כָּשְׁל֣וּ מִצּ֑וֹם וּ֝בְשָׂרִ֗י כָּחַ֥שׁ מִשָּֽׁמֶן׃

[24] My knees are weak through fasting; my body has become gaunt, with no fat.

וַאֲנִ֤י׀ הָיִ֣יתִי חֶרְפָּ֣ה לָהֶ֑ם יִ֝רְא֗וּנִי יְנִיע֥וּן רֹאשָֽׁם׃

[25] I am an object of scorn to my accusers; when they see me, they wag their heads.

עָ֭זְרֵנִי יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהָ֑י ה֭וֹשִׁיעֵ֣נִי כְחַסְדֶּֽךָ׃

[26] Help me, O Lord my God! Save me according to your steadfast love!

וְֽ֭יֵדְעוּ כִּי־יָ֣דְךָ זֹּ֑את אַתָּ֖ה יְהוָ֣ה עֲשִׂיתָֽהּ׃

[27] Let them know that this is your hand; you, O Lord , have done it!

יְקַֽלְלוּ־הֵמָּה֮ וְאַתָּ֪ה תְבָ֫רֵ֥ךְ קָ֤מוּ׀ וַיֵּבֹ֗שׁוּ וְֽעַבְדְּךָ֥ יִשְׂמָֽח׃

[28] Let them curse, but you will bless! They arise and are put to shame, but your servant will be glad!

יִלְבְּשׁ֣וּ שׂוֹטְנַ֣י כְּלִמָּ֑ה וְיַעֲט֖וּ כַמְעִ֣יל בָּשְׁתָּֽם׃

[29] May my accusers be clothed with dishonor; may they be wrapped in their own shame as in a cloak!

א֘וֹדֶ֤ה יְהוָ֣ה מְאֹ֣ד בְּפִ֑י וּבְת֖וֹךְ רַבִּ֣ים אֲהַֽלְלֶֽנּוּ׃

[30] With my mouth I will give great thanks to the Lord ; I will praise him in the midst of the throng.

כִּֽי־יַ֭עֲמֹד לִימִ֣ין אֶבְי֑וֹן לְ֝הוֹשִׁ֗יעַ מִשֹּׁפְטֵ֥י נַפְשֽׁוֹ׃

[31] For he stands at the right hand of the needy one, to save him from those who condemn his soul to death.