Common English Bible CEB
New International Version NIV
1 God of my praise, don't keep quiet,
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My God, whom I praise, do not remain silent,
2 because the mouths of wicked liars have opened up against me, talking about 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 Hateful words surround me; they attack me for no reason.
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With words of hatred they surround me; they attack me without cause.
4 Instead of returning my love, they accuse me— but I am at prayer.
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In return for my friendship they accuse me, but I am a man of prayer.
5 They repay me evil for good, hatred in return for my love.
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They repay me evil for good, and hatred for my friendship.
6 "Appoint a wicked person to be against this person," they say, "an accuser to stand right next to him.
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Appoint someone evil to oppose my enemy; let an accuser stand at his right hand.
7 When the sentence is passed, let him be found guilty— let his prayer be found 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; let someone else assume his position.
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May his days be few; may another take his place of leadership.
9 Let his children become orphans; let his wife turn into a widow.
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May his children be fatherless and his wife a widow.
10 Let his children wander aimlessly, begging, driven out of 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 seize everything he owns; let strangers plunder his wealth.
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May a creditor seize all he has; may strangers plunder the fruits of his labor.
12 Let no one extend faithful love to him; let no one have mercy on his orphans.
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May no one extend kindness to him or take pity on his fatherless children.
13 Let his descendants be eliminated; let their names be wiped out in just one generation!
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May his descendants be cut off, their names blotted out from the next generation.
14 Let his father's wrongdoing be remembered before the LORD; let his mother's sin never be wiped out.
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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 them be before the LORD always, and let God eliminate the very memory of them from the land.
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May their sins always remain before the LORD, that he may blot out their name from the earth.
16 All because this person didn't remember to demonstrate faithful love, but chased after the poor and needy— even the brokenhearted—with deadly intent!
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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 Since he loved to curse, let it come back on him! Since he didn't care much for blessing, let it be far away from 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 Since he wore curses like a coat, let them seep inside him like water, seep into 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 them be like the clothes he wears, like a belt that is always around him."
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May it be like a cloak wrapped about him, like a belt tied forever around him.
20 But let all that be the reward my accusers get from the LORD, the reward for those who speak evil against me!
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May this be the LORD’s payment to my accusers, to those who speak evil of me.
21 But you, LORD, my Lord!— act on my behalf for the sake of your name; deliver me because your faithful love is so 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 because I am poor and needy, and my heart is broken.
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For I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me.
23 Like a lengthening shadow, I'm passing away; I'm shaken off, like some locust.
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I fade away like an evening shadow; I am shaken off like a locust.
24 My legs are weak from fasting; my body is skin and bones.
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My knees give way from fasting; my body is thin and gaunt.
25 I've become a joke to my accusers; when they see me, they just 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, LORD my God! Save me according to your faithful love!
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Help me, LORD my God; save me according to your unfailing love.
27 And let them know that this is by your hand— that you have done it, LORD!
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Let them know that it is your hand, that you, LORD, have done it.
28 Let them curse—but you, bless me! If they rise up, let them be disgraced, but let your servant celebrate!
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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 my accusers be dressed in shame; let them wear their disgrace like a coat.
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May my accusers be clothed with disgrace and wrapped in shame as in a cloak.
30 But I will give great thanks to the LORD with my mouth; among a great crowd I will praise God!
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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 God stands right next to the needy, to save them from any who would 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.
Copyright © 2011 Common English Bible
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.