New Living Translation NLT
New International Version NIV
1 O God, whom I praise, don’t stand silent and aloof
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My God, whom I praise, do not remain silent,
2 while the wicked slander me and tell lies about me.
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for people who are wicked and deceitful have opened their mouths against me; they have spoken against me with lying tongues.
3 They surround me with hateful words and fight against me for no reason.
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With words of hatred they surround me; they attack me without cause.
4 I love them, but they try to destroy me with accusations even as I am praying for them!
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In return for my friendship they accuse me, but I am a man of prayer.
5 They repay evil for good, and hatred for my love.
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They repay me evil for good, and hatred for my friendship.
6 They say, “Get an evil person to turn against him. Send an accuser to bring him to trial.
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Appoint someone evil to oppose my enemy; let an accuser stand at his right hand.
7 When his case comes up for judgment, let him be pronounced guilty. Count his prayers as sins.
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When he is tried, let him be found guilty, and may his prayers condemn him.
8 Let his years be few; let someone else take his position.
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May his days be few; may another take his place of leadership.
9 May his children become fatherless, and his wife a widow.
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May his children be fatherless and his wife a widow.
10 May his children wander as beggars and be driven from their ruined homes.
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May his children be wandering beggars; may they be driven from their ruined homes.
11 May creditors seize his entire estate, and strangers take all he has earned.
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May a creditor seize all he has; may strangers plunder the fruits of his labor.
12 Let no one be kind to him; let no one pity his fatherless children.
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May no one extend kindness to him or take pity on his fatherless children.
13 May all his offspring die. May his family name be blotted out in the next generation.
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May his descendants be cut off, their names blotted out from the next generation.
14 May the LORD never forget the sins of his fathers; may his mother’s sins never be erased from the record.
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May the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the LORD; may the sin of his mother never be blotted out.
15 May the LORD always remember these sins, and may his name disappear from human memory.
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May their sins always remain before the LORD, that he may blot out their name from the earth.
16 For he refused all kindness to others; he persecuted the poor and needy, and he hounded the brokenhearted to death.
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For he never thought of doing a kindness, but hounded to death the poor and the needy and the brokenhearted.
17 He loved to curse others; now you curse him. He never blessed others; now don’t you bless him.
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He loved to pronounce a curse— may it come back on him. He found no pleasure in blessing— may it be far from him.
18 Cursing is as natural to him as his clothing, or the water he drinks, or the rich food he eats.
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He wore cursing as his garment; it entered into his body like water, into his bones like oil.
19 Now may his curses return and cling to him like clothing; may they be tied around him like a belt.”
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May it be like a cloak wrapped about him, like a belt tied forever around him.
20 May those curses become the LORD ’s punishment for my accusers who speak evil of me.
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May this be the LORD’s payment to my accusers, to those who speak evil of me.
21 But deal well with me, O Sovereign LORD, for the sake of your own reputation! Rescue me because you are so faithful and good.
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But you, Sovereign LORD, help me for your name’s sake; out of the goodness of your love, deliver me.
22 For I am poor and needy, and my heart is full of pain.
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For I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me.
23 I am fading like a shadow at dusk; I am brushed off like a locust.
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I fade away like an evening shadow; I am shaken off like a locust.
24 My knees are weak from fasting, and I am skin and bones.
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My knees give way from fasting; my body is thin and gaunt.
25 I am a joke to people everywhere; when they see me, they shake their heads in scorn.
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I am an object of scorn to my accusers; when they see me, they shake their heads.
26 Help me, O LORD my God! Save me because of your unfailing love.
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Help me, LORD my God; save me according to your unfailing love.
27 Let them see that this is your doing, that you yourself have done it, LORD .
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Let them know that it is your hand, that you, LORD, have done it.
28 Then let them curse me if they like, but you will bless me! When they attack me, they will be disgraced! But I, your servant, will go right on rejoicing!
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While they curse, may you bless; may those who attack me be put to shame, but may your servant rejoice.
29 May my accusers be clothed with disgrace; may their humiliation cover them like a cloak.
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May my accusers be clothed with disgrace and wrapped in shame as in a cloak.
30 But I will give repeated thanks to the LORD, praising him to everyone.
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With my mouth I will greatly extol the LORD; in the great throng of worshipers I will praise him.
31 For he stands beside the needy, ready to save them from those who condemn them.
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For he stands at the right hand of the needy, to save their lives from those who would condemn them.
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by
Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide.