New International Version NIV
New Century Version NCV
1 My God, whom I praise, do not remain silent,
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God, I praise you. Do not be silent.
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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Wicked people and liars have spoken against me; they have told lies about me.
3 With words of hatred they surround me; they attack me without cause.
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They have said hateful things about me and 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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They attacked me, even though I loved them and prayed for them.
5 They repay me evil for good, and hatred for my friendship.
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I was good to them, but they repay me with evil. I loved them, but they hate me in return.
6 Appoint someone evil to oppose my enemy; let an accuser stand at his right hand.
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They say about me, "Have an evil person work against him, and let an accuser stand against him.
7 When he is tried, let him be found guilty, and may his prayers condemn him.
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When he is judged, let him be found guilty, and let even his prayers show his guilt.
8 May his days be few; may another take his place of leadership.
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Let his life be cut short, and let another man replace him as leader.
9 May his children be fatherless and his wife a widow.
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Let his children become orphans and his wife a widow.
10 May his children be wandering beggars; may they be driven from their ruined homes.
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Make his children wander around, begging for food. Let them be forced out of the ruins in which they live.
11 May a creditor seize all he has; may strangers plunder the fruits of his labor.
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Let the people to whom he owes money take everything he owns, and let strangers steal everything he has worked for.
12 May no one extend kindness to him or take pity on his fatherless children.
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Let no one show him love or have mercy on his orphaned children.
13 May his descendants be cut off, their names blotted out from the next generation.
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Let all his descendants die and be forgotten by those who live after him.
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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Lord, remember how wicked his ancestors were, and don't let the sins of his mother 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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Lord, always remember their sins. Then make people forget about them completely.
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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"He did not remember to be loving. He hurt the poor, the needy, and those who were sad until they were nearly dead.
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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He loved to put curses on others, so let those same curses fall on him. He did not like to bless others, so do not let good things happen to him.
18 He wore cursing as his garment; it entered into his body like water, into his bones like oil.
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He cursed others as often as he wore clothes. Cursing others filled his body and his life, like drinking water and using olive oil.
19 May it be like a cloak wrapped about him, like a belt tied forever around him.
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So let curses cover him like clothes and wrap around him like a belt."
20 May this be the LORD’s payment to my accusers, to those who speak evil of me.
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May the Lord do these things to those who accuse me, to 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 God, be kind to me so others will know you are good. Because your love is good, save me.
22 For I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me.
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I am poor and helpless and very sad.
23 I fade away like an evening shadow; I am shaken off like a locust.
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I am dying like an evening shadow; I am shaken off like a locust.
24 My knees give way from fasting; my body is thin and gaunt.
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My knees are weak from hunger, and I have grown thin.
25 I am an object of scorn to my accusers; when they see me, they shake their heads.
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My enemies insult me; they look at me and shake their heads.
26 Help me, LORD my God; save me according to your unfailing love.
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Lord my God, help me; because you are loving, save me.
27 Let them know that it is your hand, that you, LORD, have done it.
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Then they will know that your power has done this; they will know 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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They may curse me, but you bless me. They may attack me, but they will be disgraced. Then I, your servant, will be glad.
29 May my accusers be clothed with disgrace and wrapped in shame as in a cloak.
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Let those who accuse me be disgraced and covered with shame 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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I will thank the Lord very much; I will praise him in front of many people.
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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He defends the helpless and saves them from those who accuse them. A psalm of David.