Evening Prayer: Friday 14 February 2025

1. Hold not your tongue, *
O God of my praise.

2. For the mouth of the wicked, the mouth of the deceitful, is opened against me; *
they speak to me with a lying tongue.

3. They encompass me with hateful words *
and fight against me without a cause.

4. Despite my love, they accuse me; *
but as for me, I pray for them.

5. They repay evil for good, *
and hatred for my love.

6. Set the wicked against them, *
and let an accuser stand at their side.

7. When they are judged, let them be found guilty, *
and let their appeal be in vain.

8. Let their days be few, *
and let another take their office.

9. Let their children be orphaned, *
and their spouses widowed.

10. Let their children be waifs and beggars; *
let them be driven from the ruins of their homes.

11. Let creditors seize everything they have; *
let strangers plunder their gains.

12. Let there be no one to show their kindness, *
and none to pity their orphaned children.

13. Let their descendants be destroyed, *
and their name be blotted out in the next generation.

14. Let the wickedness of their ancestors be remembered before the Lord, *
and their mothers’ sin not be blotted out;

15. Let their sin be always before the Lord; *
but let their names be rooted out from the earth;

16. because they did not remember to show mercy, *
but persecuted the poor and needy and sought to kill the brokenhearted.

17. They loved cursing, let it come upon them; *
they took no delight in blessing, let it depart from them.

18. They put on cursing like a garment, *
let it soak into their bodies like water and into their bones like oil;

19. Let it be to them like the cloak which they wrap around themselves, *
and like the belt that they wear continually.

20. Let this be the recompense from the Lord to my accusers, *
and to those who speak evil against me.

21. But you, O Lord my God, oh, deal with me according to your name; *
for your tender mercy’s sake, deliver me.

22. For I am poor and needy, *
and my heart is wounded within me.

23. I have faded away like a shadow when it lengthens; *
I am shaken off like a locust.

24. My knees are weak through fasting, *
and my flesh is wasted and gaunt.

25. I have become a reproach to them; *
they see and shake their heads.

26. Help me, O Lord my God; *
save me for your mercy’s sake.

27. Let them know that this is your hand, *
that you, O Lord, have done it.

28. They may curse, but you will bless; *
let those who rise up against me be put to shame, and your servant will rejoice.

29. Let my accusers be clothed with disgrace *
and wrap themselves in their shame as in a cloak.

30. I will give great thanks to the Lord with my mouth; *
in the midst of the multitude will I praise God;

31. because the Lord stands at the side of the needy, *
to save their lives from those who would condemn them.