A Psalm of Solomon against the Men-pleasers.

1 Wherefore sittest thou, O profane one, in the assembly, when thy heart is far removed from the Lord, and provokest the God of Israel by thy transgressions?

2 He surpasseth in words, yea in outward show he surpasseth all; he is austere in speech when he condemneth sinners in judgement;

3 And his hand is first upon the sinner, as though he were full of zeal; yet he himself is guilty, because of all manner of wickedness, and because of incontinence.

4 His eyes are upon every woman without distinction; he speaketh lies with his tongue when he maketh contract with an oath;

5 In the night-season and in secret he sinneth, as if he were not seen; with his eyes talketh he to every woman, and maketh evil compact;

6 He is swift to enter every house with a merry countenance, as one of the innocent.

7 Let God destroy them that live in hypocrisy in the company of the saints, yea, destroy the life of such an one, in the corruption of his flesh and in poverty.

8 Let God lay bare the deeds of men that are men-pleasers, yea the deeds of such an one in derision and scorn:

9 That the saints may justify the judgement of their God, when sinners are destroyed from before the face of the righteous,

10 Even the men-pleaser when he uttereth law with deceit.

11 And their eyes are toward the house of a man that is prosperous, like a serpent, to pervert wisdom, speaking with the words of transgressors:

12 His words are words of deceit, to the intent that he may accomplish his ungodly desire;

13 He never ceaseth to scatter and bereave, and he maketh desolate for the sake of his wicked desire;

14 He deceiveth with his words, saying, There is none that seeth and judgeth.

15 He is filled with transgression herein; and his eyes are against his neighbour's house to destroy it with swelling words of flattery; with all this is not his soul satisfied.

16 Let dishonour be his portion, O Lord, in Thy sight; let his going out be with groaning and his coming in with a curse;

17 Let his life, O Lord, be spent in pain, in poverty and want; let his sleep be in anguish and his awaking in perplexities.

18 Let sleep be withdrawn from his eyelids in the night-season; let him miscarry with dishonour in every work of his hands;

19 Let him enter his house empty-handed; and let his house lack everything wherewith he can satisfy his desire.

20 Let his old age be childless and solitary until the time of his being taken away.

21 Let the flesh of the men-pleasers be torn in pieces by the beasts of the field, and the bones of transgressors lie dishonoured in the sight of the sun.

22 Let ravens peck out the eyes of the men that work hypocrisy,

23 Because they have made desolate with dishonour many men's houses, and scattered them in their lust;

24 And remembered not God, nor feared God in all these things;

25 And provoked God to anger and vexed Him; that He should cut them from off the earth, because with craftiness they beguiled the souls of the innocent.

26 Blessed are they that fear the Lord in their innocency;

27 The Lord will deliver them from deceitful and sinful men, and will deliver us from every snare of the ungodly.

28 Let God destroy them that work all iniquity with insolence, for a great and mighty judge is the Lord our God in righteousness.

29 Let Thy mercy, O Lord, be upon all them that love Thee.