Their mouths are softer than butter, and yet have they battle in their mind: their words are smoother than oil, and yet be they very swords.

{To the chanter, upon the domme stock dove, which flyeth far off: Michtam of David, when the Philistines took him in Gath} Be merciful unto me, O God, for men will tread me down: they are daily fighting and troubling me.

Mine enemies are daily at hand to swallow me up; for they be many that fight against me, O thou Most Highest.

They vex me daily in my words: all that they imagine is to do me evil.

They hold all together, and keep themselves close, and mark my steps, when they lay wait for my soul.

Shall they escape for their wickedness? Thou, O God, in thy displeasure shalt cast them down.

They have laid a net for my feet, and pressed down my soul: they have digged a pit before me, and are fallen into it themselves. Selah.

The ungodly are froward, even from their mother's womb; as soon as they be born, they go astray and speak lies.

They are as venomous as the poison of a serpent, even like the deaf adder that stoppeth her ears,

Let them fall away like water that runneth a pace; and when they shoot their arrows, let them be rooted out.

For lo, they lie in waiting for my soul; the mighty men are gathered together against me, without any offense or fault of me, O LORD.

They run and prepare themselves, without my fault; Arise thou therefore to help me, and behold.

Behold, they speak against me with their mouth, and swords are under their lips, for who reproveth them?

Consume them in thy wrath; consume them that they may perish, and know that it is God which ruleth in Jacob and in all the world. Selah.

Let them run here and there for meat, and grudge when they have not enough.

Yet hast thou given a token, for such as fear thee, that they may triumph because of the truth. Selah.

that he may dwell before God for ever. O prepare thy loving mercy and faithfulness, that they may preserve him.

Their device is only how to put him out, whom God will exalt; their delight is in lies. They give good words with their mouth, but curse with their heart. Selah.

As for men they are but vanity; the children of men are deceitful. Upon the weights they are altogether lighter than vanity itself.

These also that seek the hurt of my soul, they shall go under the earth.

They shall fall into the sword, and be a portion for foxes.

But the king shall rejoice in God; all they that swear by him shall be commended, for the mouth of liars shall be stopped.

That they may privily hurt the innocent, and suddenly hit him without any fear.

They have devised mischief, and communed among themselves how they may lay snares. "Tush," say they, "Who shall see them?"

They imagine wickedness, and keep it secret among themselves; every man in the deep of his heart.

But God shall suddenly shoot with a swift arrow, that they shall be wounded.

And all men that see it shall say, "This hath God done!" For they shall perceive that it is his work.

The righteous shall rejoice in the LORD, and put his trust in him; and all they that are true of heart, shall be glad.

They that dwell in the uttermost parts of the earth shall be afraid at thy tokens; thou makest both the morning and evening stars to praise thee.

They shall drop upon the dwellings of the wilderness; and the little hills shall rejoice on every side.

The folds shall be full of sheep; the valleys also shall stand so thick with corn, that they shall laugh and sing.

He turned the sea into dry land, so that they went through the water on foot; there did we rejoice thereof.

But the righteous shall be glad and rejoice before God, they shall be merry and joyful.

Kings with their armies did flee, and were discomfited; and they of the household divided the spoil.

They that hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of my head; they that are mine enemies, and would destroy me guiltless, are mighty. I paid them the things that I never took.

I put on a sackcloth, and therefore they jested upon me.

They that sit in the gate speak against me, and the drunkards make songs upon me.

They gave me gall to eat, and when I was thirsty they gave me vinegar to drink.

Let their eyes be blinded, that they see not; and ever bow down their backs.

For they persecute him whom thou hast smitten; and they talk how they may vex them whom thou hast wounded.

The seed of his servants shall inherit it, and they that love his name shall dwell therein.

For mine enemies speak against me; and they that lay wait for my soul take their counsel together,

Thy righteousness, O God, is very high, and great things are they that thou hast done; O God, who is like unto thee?

My tongue talketh of thy righteousness, all the day long; for they are confounded and brought unto shame that seek to do me evil.

They that dwell in the wilderness shall kneel before him, and his enemies shall lick the dust.

For they are in no peril of death, but stand fast like a palace.

They come in no misfortune like other folk; neither are they plagued like other men.

And this is the cause that they be so puffed up in pride, and overwhelmed with cruelty and unrighteousness.

Their eyes swell with fatness, and they do even what they lust.

They corrupt others, and speak blasphemies maliciously; proud and presumptuous are their words.

They stretch forth their mouth unto the heaven, and their tongue goeth through the world.

Therefore fall the people unto them, and there out suck they no small advantage.

"Tush," say they, "How should God perceive it? Is there knowledge in the most high?"

Yea, I had almost also said even as they do; but lo, then should I have condemned the generation of thy children.

O how suddenly do they consume, perish and come to a fearful end!

For lo, they that forsake thee shall perish; thou destroyest all them that commit fornication against thee.

But now they break down all the carved work thereof with axes and hammers.

They have set fire upon thy holy places, and have defiled the dwelling place of thy name, even to the ground.

Yea, they say in their hearts, "Let us make havoc of them all together." Thus have they burnt up all the houses of God in the land.

that their posterity might know it, and the children which were yet unborn, to the intent that when they came up, they might show their children the same;

that they also might put their trust in God, and not to forget what he had done, but to keep his commandments.

They kept not the covenant of God, and would not walk in his law.

They forgot what he had done, and the wonderful works that he had showed for them.

Yet for all this they sinned more against him, and provoked the most highest in the wilderness.

They tempted God in their hearts, and required meat for their lust.

For they spake against God, and said, "Yea yea, God shall prepare a table in the wilderness, shall he?

because they believed not in God, and put not their trust in his help.

Then ate they angels' food, for he sent them meat enough.

So they ate, and were filled, for he gave them their own desire.

And they were not disappointed of their lust. But while their meat was yet in their mouths,

But for all this they sinned yet more, and believed not his wondrous works.

When he slew them, they sought him, and turned them early, and inquired after God.

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

Nevertheless, they did but flatter him with their mouths, and dissembled with him in their tongues.

For their heart was not whole with him, neither continued they steadfast in his covenant.

For he considered that they were but flesh; even a wind that passeth away, and cometh not again.

O how oft did they grieve him in the wilderness? How many a time did they provoke him in the desert?

They turned back, and tempted God, and moved the holy one in Israel.

They thought not of his hand, and of the day when he delivered them from the hand of the enemy;

How he turned their waters into blood, so that they might not drink of the rivers;

He brought them out safely, that they should not fear, and overwhelmed their enemies with the sea.

Yet, for all this they tempted and displeased the most high God, and kept not his covenant:

And so they grieved him with their high places, and provoked him with their images.

{A Psalm of Asaph} O God, the heathen are come into thine inheritance; thy holy temple have they defiled, and made Jerusalem a heap of stones.

The dead bodies of thy servants have they given to be meat unto the fowls of the air, and the flesh of thy saints unto the beasts of the land.

Their blood have they shed like water on every side of Jerusalem, and there was no man to bury them.

For they have devoured Jacob, and laid waste his dwelling place.

Why hast thou then broken down her hedge, that all they which go by, pluck off her grapes?

They will not be learned nor understand, but walk on still in darkness; all the foundations of the earth are out of course.

For lo, thine enemies make a murmuring; and they that hate thee, lift up their head.

They imagine craftily against thy people, and take counsel against thy secret ones.

"Come," say they, "let us root them out, that they be no more a people, and that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance."

For they have cast their heads together with one consent, and are confederate against thee.

Make their faces ashamed, O LORD, that they may seek thy name.

And they shall know that thou, whose name is Jehovah, art only the most highest over all the earth.

Blessed are they that dwell in thy house; they will be always praising thee. Selah.

They will go from strength to strength, and unto the God of Gods appeareth every one of them in Zion.

I will hearken what the LORD God will say concerning me; for he shall speak peace unto his people, and to his saints, that they turn not themselves unto foolishness.

Show some token upon me for good, that they which hate me may see it and be ashamed; because thou, LORD, hast helped me, and comforted me.

I will think upon Rahab and Babylon, with them that know me. Behold ye the Philistines also, and they of Tyre, with they of the Ethiopians; lo, there was he born.