1    Why do you glory in evil, you tyrant,  ♦

while the goodness of God endures continually?

2    You plot destruction, you deceiver;  ♦

your tongue is like a sharpened razor.

3    You love evil rather than good,  ♦

falsehood rather than the word of truth.

4    You love all words that hurt,  ♦

O you deceitful tongue.

5    Therefore God shall utterly bring you down;  ♦

he shall take you and pluck you out of your tent

    and root you out of the land of the living.

6    The righteous shall see this and tremble;  ♦

they shall laugh you to scorn, and say:

7    ‘This is the one who did not take God for a refuge,  ♦

but trusted in great riches and relied upon wickedness.’

8    But I am like a spreading olive tree in the house of God;  ♦

I trust in the goodness of God for ever and ever.

9    I will always give thanks to you for what you have done;  ♦

I will hope in your name,

    for your faithful ones delight in it.

Common Worship: Services and Prayers for the Church of England, material from which is included here,
is copyright © The Archbishops' Council 2000 and published by Church House Publishing.