Common English Bible CEB
New Revised Standard NRS
1 God of my praise, don't keep quiet,
1
Do not be silent, O God of my praise.
2 because the mouths of wicked liars have opened up against me, talking about me with lying tongues.
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For wicked and deceitful mouths are opened against me, speaking against me with lying tongues.
3 Hateful words surround me; they attack me for no reason.
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They beset me with words of hate, and 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 love they accuse me, even while I make prayer for them.
5 They repay me evil for good, hatred in return for my love.
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So they reward me evil for good, and hatred for my love.
6 "Appoint a wicked person to be against this person," they say, "an accuser to stand right next to him.
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They say, "Appoint a wicked man against him; let an accuser stand on his right.
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; let his prayer be counted as sin.
8 Let his days be few; let someone else assume his position.
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May his days be few; may another seize his position.
9 Let his children become orphans; let his wife turn into a widow.
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May his children be orphans, 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 wander about and beg; may they be driven out of the ruins they inhabit.
11 Let a creditor seize everything he owns; let strangers plunder his wealth.
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May the creditor seize all that he has; may strangers plunder the fruits of his toil.
12 Let no one extend faithful love to him; let no one have mercy on his orphans.
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May there be no one to do him a kindness, nor anyone to pity his orphaned children.
13 Let his descendants be eliminated; let their names be wiped out in just one generation!
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May his posterity be cut off; may his name be blotted out in the second 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 father be remembered before the Lord, and do not let the sin of his mother 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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Let them be before the Lord continually, and may his memory be cut off 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 did not remember to show kindness, but pursued the poor and needy and the brokenhearted to their death.
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 curse; let curses come on him. He did not like 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 clothed himself with cursing as his coat, may it soak into his body like water, like oil into his bones.
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 garment that he wraps around himself, like a belt that he wears every day."
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 that be the reward of my accusers from the Lord, of those who speak evil against my life.
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, O Lord my Lord, act on my behalf for your name's sake; because your steadfast love is good, 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 pierced within me.
23 Like a lengthening shadow, I'm passing away; I'm shaken off, like some locust.
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I am gone like a shadow at evening; 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 are weak through fasting; my body has become 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, O Lord my God! Save me according to your steadfast 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 this is your hand; you, O 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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Let them curse, but you will bless. Let my assailants be put to shame; may your servant be glad.
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 dishonor; may they be wrapped in their own shame as in a mantle.
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 give great thanks to the Lord; I will praise him in the midst of the throng.
31 Because God stands right next to the needy, to save them from any who would condemn them.
31
For he stands at the right hand of the needy, to save them from those who would condemn them to death.
Copyright © 2011 Common English Bible
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.