New International Version NIV
Revised Standard Version RSV
1 My God, whom I praise, do not remain silent,
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To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. Be not silent, O God of my praise!
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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For wicked and deceitful mouths are opened against me, speaking against me with lying tongues.
3 With words of hatred they surround me; they attack me without cause.
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They beset me with words of hate, and attack me without cause.
4 In return for my friendship they accuse me, but I am a man of prayer.
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In return for my love they accuse me, even as I make prayer for them.
5 They repay me evil for good, and hatred for my friendship.
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So they reward me evil for good, and hatred 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 man against him; let an accuser bring him to trial.
7 When he is tried, let him be found guilty, and may his prayers condemn him.
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When he is tried, let him come forth guilty; let his prayer be counted as sin!
8 May his days be few; may another take his place of leadership.
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May his days be few; may another seize his goods!
9 May his children be fatherless and his wife a widow.
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May his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow!
10 May his children be wandering beggars; may they be driven from 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 May a creditor seize all he has; may strangers plunder the fruits of his labor.
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May the creditor seize all that he has; may strangers plunder the fruits of his toil!
12 May no one extend kindness to him or take pity on his fatherless children.
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Let there be none to extend kindness to him, nor any to pity his fatherless children!
13 May his descendants be cut off, their names blotted out from the next generation.
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May his posterity be cut off; may his name be blotted out in the second 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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May the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the LORD, and let not the sin of his mother be blotted 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 continually; and may his memory be cut off from the earth!
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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For he did not remember to show kindness, but pursued the poor and needy and the brokenhearted to their death.
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 curse; let curses come on him! He did not like blessing; may it be far 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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He clothed himself with cursing as his coat, may it soak into his body like water, like oil into his bones!
19 May it be like a cloak wrapped about him, like a belt tied forever around him.
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May it be like a garment which he wraps round him, like a belt with which he daily girds himself!
20 May this be the LORD’s payment to my accusers, to those who speak evil of me.
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May this be the reward of my accusers from the LORD, of those who speak evil against my life!
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 thou, O GOD my Lord, deal on my behalf for thy name's sake; because thy steadfast love is good, deliver me!
22 For I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me.
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For I am poor and needy, and my heart is stricken within me.
23 I fade away like an evening shadow; I am shaken off like a locust.
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I am gone, like a shadow at evening; 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 through fasting; my body has become gaunt.
25 I am an object of scorn to my accusers; when they see me, they shake their heads.
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I am an object of scorn to my accusers; when they see me, they wag their heads.
26 Help me, LORD my God; save me according to your unfailing love.
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Help me, O LORD my God! Save me according to thy steadfast love!
27 Let them know that it is your hand, that you, LORD, have done it.
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Let them know that this is thy hand; thou, O LORD, hast done it!
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 do thou bless! Let my assailants be put to shame; may thy servant be glad!
29 May my accusers be clothed with disgrace and wrapped in shame as in a cloak.
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May my accusers be clothed with dishonor; may they be wrapped in their own shame as in a mantle!
30 With my mouth I will greatly extol the LORD; in the great throng of worshipers I will praise him.
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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 For he stands at the right hand of the needy, to save their lives from those who would condemn them.
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For he stands at the right hand of the needy, to save him from those who condemn him to death.
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.
Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1952 [2nd edition, 1971] by the 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.