I will wash my hands in innocence: so will I compass thy altar, O LORD:

LORD, by thy favor thou hast made my mountain to stand strong: thou didst hide thy face, and I was troubled.

I was a reproach among all my enemies, but especially among my neighbors, and a fear to my acquaintance: they that saw me without fled from me.

For I have heard the slander of many: fear was on every side: while they took counsel together against me, they devised to take away my life.

For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drouth of summer. Selah.

For he spoke, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast.

But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth: I humbled my soul with fasting; and my prayer returned into my own bosom.

Yet he passed away, and lo, he was not: yes, I sought him, but he could not be found.

But I, as a deaf man, heard not; and I was as a dumb man that openeth not his mouth.

Thus I was as a man that heareth not, and in whose mouth are no reproofs.

I was dumb with silence, I held my peace, even from good; and my sorrow was stirred.

My heart was hot within me, while I was musing the fire burned: then I spoke with my tongue.

I was dumb, I opened not my mouth; because thou didst it.

These things hast thou done, and I kept silence; thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself: but I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thine eyes.

Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.

Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.

Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

There they were in great fear, where no fear was: for God hath scattered the bones of him that encampeth against thee: thou hast put them to shame, because God hath despised them.

For it was not an enemy that reproached me; then I could have borne it: neither was it he that hated me that magnified himself against me; then I would have hid myself from him:

But it was thou, a man my equal, my guide, and my acquaintance.

He hath delivered my soul in peace from the battle that was against me: for there were many with me.

The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart: his words were softer than oil, yet were they drawn swords.

The righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance: he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked.

A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah. O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;

Which my lips have uttered, and my mouth hath spoken, when I was in trouble.

I cried to him with my mouth, and he was extolled with my tongue.

The earth shook, the heavens also dropped at the presence of God: even Sinai itself was moved at the presence of God, the God of Israel.

Thou, O God, didst send a plentiful rain, by which thou didst confirm thy inheritance, when it was weary.

The Lord gave the word: great was the company of those that published it.

When the Almighty scattered kings in it, it was white as snow in Salmon.

When I wept, and chastened my soul with fasting, that was to my reproach.

They that sit in the gate speak against me; and I was the song of the drunkards.

Reproach hath broken my heart; and I am full of heaviness: and I looked for some to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none.

For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me;

Thus my heart was grieved, and I was pricked in my reins.

So foolish was I, and ignorant: I was as a beast before thee.

A man was famous according as he had lifted up axes upon the thick trees.

Thou didst cause judgment to be heard from heaven; the earth feared, and was still,

I remembered God, and was troubled: I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed. Selah.

The voice of thy thunder was in the heaven: the lightnings lightened the world: the earth trembled and shook.

And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not steadfast with God.

Therefore the LORD heard this, and was wroth: so a fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also came up against Israel;

They were not estranged from their desire: but while their meat was yet in their mouths,

And they remembered that God was their rock, and the high God their redeemer.

For their heart was not right with him, neither were they steadfast in his covenant.

When God heard this, he was wroth, and greatly abhorred Israel:

He gave over his people also to the sword; and was wroth with his inheritance.

Their blood have they shed like water around Jerusalem; and there was none to bury them.

For this was a statute for Israel, and a law of the God of Jacob.

I will make mention of Rahab and Babylon to them that know me: behold Philistia, and Tyre, with Cush; this man was born there.

And of Zion it shall be said, This and that man was born in her: and the Highest himself shall establish her.

The LORD shall count, when he writeth up the people, that this man was born there. Selah.

Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and said, It is a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known my ways:

Zion heard, and was glad; and the daughters of Judah rejoiced because of thy judgments, O LORD.

Thou didst answer them, O LORD our God: thou wast a God that forgavest them, though thou tookest vengeance of their inventions.

He sent a man before them, even Joseph, who was sold for a servant:

Whose feet they hurt with fetters: he was laid in iron:

He brought them forth also with silver and gold: and there was not one feeble person among their tribes.

Egypt was glad when they departed: for the fear of them fell upon them.

He rebuked the Red sea also, and it was dried up: so he led them through the depths, as through the wilderness.

And the waters covered their enemies: there was not one of them left.

And a fire was kindled in their company; the flame burned up the wicked.

Then stood up Phinehas, and executed judgment: and so the plague was stayed.

And that was counted to him for righteousness to all generations for ever.

And shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and of their daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan: and the land was polluted with blood.

Therefore was the wrath of the LORD kindled against his people, insomuch that he abhorred his own inheritance.

Therefore he brought down their heart with labor; they fell down, and there was none to help.

Judah was his sanctuary, and Israel his dominion.

The sea saw it, and fled: Jordan was driven back.

What ailed thee, O thou sea, that thou fleddest? thou Jordan, that thou wast driven back?

The LORD preserveth the simple: I was brought low, and he helped me.

I believed, therefore have I spoken: I was greatly afflicted:

Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word.

I beheld the transgressors, and was grieved; because they kept not thy word.

A Song of degrees of David. I was glad when they said to me, Let us go into the house of the LORD.

A Song of degrees of David. If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, now may Israel say;

If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, when men rose up against us:

Then they had swallowed us up quick, when their wrath was kindled against us:

Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The LORD hath done great things for them.

My substance was not hid from thee when I was made in secret, and curiously formed in the lowest parts of the earth.

Thy eyes saw my substance, yet being imperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.

Maschil of David; a prayer when he was in the cave. I cried to the LORD with my voice; with my voice to the LORD I made my supplication.

When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then thou knewest my path. In the way in which I walked have they privily laid a snare for me.

I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would know me: refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul.

For I was my father's son, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother.

I was almost in all evil in the midst of the congregation and assembly.

I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was.

When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water.

Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth.

When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he set a compass upon the face of the depth:

Then I was by him, as one brought up with him: and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him;

They have stricken me, wilt thou say, and I was not sick; they have beaten me, and I felt it not: when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.

And lo, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face of it, and its stone wall was broken down.

Is there any thing of which it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us.

I the preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.

I sought in my heart, to give myself to wine, yet acquainting my heart with wisdom; and to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was that good for the sons of men, which they should do under the heaven all the days of their life.

So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me.

And whatever my eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labor: and this was my portion of all my labor.

Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labor that I had labored to do: and behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.