GOD'S WORD Translation GW
New International Version NIV
1 O God, whom I praise, do not turn a deaf ear to me.
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My God, whom I praise, do not remain silent,
2 Wicked and deceitful people have opened their mouths against me. They speak against me with lying tongues.
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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. They fight against me for no reason.
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With words of hatred they surround me; they attack me without cause.
4 In return for my love, they accuse me, but I pray for them.
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In return for my friendship they accuse me, but I am a man of prayer.
5 They reward me with evil instead of good and with hatred instead of love.
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They repay me evil for good, and hatred for my friendship.
6 [I said,] "Appoint the evil one to oppose him. Let Satan stand beside him.
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Appoint someone evil to oppose my enemy; let an accuser stand at his right hand.
7 When he stands trial, let him be found guilty. Let his prayer be considered sinful.
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When he is tried, let him be found guilty, and may his prayers condemn him.
8 Let his days be few [in number]. Let someone else take his position.
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May his days be few; may another take his place of leadership.
9 "Let his children become fatherless and his wife a widow.
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May his children be fatherless and his wife a widow.
10 Let his children wander around and beg. Let them seek help far from their ruined homes.
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May his children be wandering beggars; may they be driven from their ruined homes.
11 Let a creditor take everything he owns. Let strangers steal what he has worked for.
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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 anymore. Let no one show any pity to his fatherless children.
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May no one extend kindness to him or take pity on his fatherless children.
13 Let his descendants be cut off and their family name be wiped out by the next generation.
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May his descendants be cut off, their names blotted out from the next generation.
14 Let the LORD remember the guilt of his ancestors and not wipe out his mother's sin.
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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 Let their guilt and sin always remain on record in front of the LORD. Let the LORD remove every memory of him from the earth,
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May their sins always remain before the LORD, that he may blot out their name from the earth.
16 because he did not remember to be kind. "He drove oppressed, needy, and brokenhearted people to their graves.
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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 put curses [on others], so he, too, was cursed. He did not like to bless [others], so he never received a blessing.
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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 He wore cursing as though it were clothing, so cursing entered his body like water and his bones like oil.
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He wore cursing as his garment; it entered into his body like water, into his bones like oil.
19 Let cursing be his clothing, a belt he always wears."
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May it be like a cloak wrapped about him, like a belt tied forever around him.
20 This is how the LORD rewards those who accuse me, those who say evil things against me.
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May this be the LORD’s payment to my accusers, to those who speak evil of me.
21 O LORD Almighty, deal with me out of the goodness of your name. Rescue me because of your mercy.
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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 I am oppressed and needy. I can feel the pain in my heart.
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For I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me.
23 I fade away like a lengthening shadow. I have been shaken off like a grasshopper.
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I fade away like an evening shadow; I am shaken off like a locust.
24 My knees give way because I have been fasting. My body has become lean, without any fat.
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My knees give way from fasting; my body is thin and gaunt.
25 I have become the victim of my enemies' insults. They look at me and shake their heads.
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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 mercy.
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Help me, LORD my God; save me according to your unfailing love.
27 Then they will know that this is your doing, that you, O LORD, are the one who saved me.
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Let them know that it is your hand, that you, LORD, have done it.
28 They may curse, but you will bless. Let those who attack me be ashamed, but let me rejoice.
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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 Let those who accuse me wear disgrace as though it were clothing. Let them be wrapped in their shame as though it were a robe.
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May my accusers be clothed with disgrace and wrapped in shame as in a cloak.
30 With my mouth I will give many thanks to the LORD. I will praise him among many people,
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With my mouth I will greatly extol the LORD; in the great throng of worshipers I will praise him.
31 because he stands beside needy people to save them from those who would condemn them to death.
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For he stands at the right hand of the needy, to save their lives from those who would condemn them.
GOD'S WORD® is a copyrighted work of God's Word to the Nations. Copyright © 1995 by God's Word to the Nations. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
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.