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