New Living Translation NLT
Common English Bible CEB
1 O God, whom I praise, don’t stand silent and aloof
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God of my praise, don't keep quiet,
2 while the wicked slander me and tell lies about me.
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because the mouths of wicked liars have opened up against me, talking about me with lying tongues.
3 They surround me with hateful words and fight against me for no reason.
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Hateful words surround me; they attack me for no reason.
4 I love them, but they try to destroy me with accusations even as I am praying for them!
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Instead of returning my love, they accuse me— but I am at prayer.
5 They repay evil for good, and hatred for my love.
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They repay me evil for good, hatred in return for my love.
6 They say, “Get an evil person to turn against him. Send an accuser to bring him to trial.
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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 his case comes up for judgment, let him be pronounced guilty. Count his prayers as sins.
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When the sentence is passed, let him be found guilty— let his prayer be found sinful!
8 Let his years be few; let someone else take his position.
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Let his days be few; let someone else assume his position.
9 May his children become 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 wander as beggars and be driven from their ruined homes.
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Let his children wander aimlessly, begging, driven out of their ruined homes.
11 May creditors seize his entire estate, and strangers take all he has earned.
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Let a creditor seize everything he owns; let strangers plunder his wealth.
12 Let no one be kind to him; let no one pity 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 all his offspring die. May his family name be blotted out in 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 LORD never forget the sins of his fathers; may his mother’s sins never be erased from the record.
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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 the LORD always remember these sins, and may his name disappear from human memory.
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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 refused all kindness to others; he persecuted the poor and needy, and he hounded the brokenhearted to death.
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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 curse others; now you curse him. He never blessed others; now don’t you bless 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 Cursing is as natural to him as his clothing, or the water he drinks, or the rich food he eats.
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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 Now may his curses return and cling to him like clothing; may they be tied around him like a belt.”
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Let them be like the clothes he wears, like a belt that is always around him."
20 May those curses become the LORD ’s punishment for my accusers 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 deal well with me, O Sovereign LORD, for the sake of your own reputation! Rescue me because you are so faithful and good.
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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 full of pain.
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because I am poor and needy, and my heart is broken.
23 I am fading like a shadow at dusk; I am brushed 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 are weak from fasting, and I am skin and bones.
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My legs are weak from fasting; my body is skin and bones.
25 I am a joke to people everywhere; when they see me, they shake their heads in scorn.
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I've become a joke to my accusers; when they see me, they just shake their heads.
26 Help me, O LORD my God! Save me because of your unfailing love.
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Help me, LORD my God! Save me according to your faithful love!
27 Let them see that this is your doing, that you yourself have done it, LORD .
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And let them know that this is by your hand— that you have done it, LORD!
28 Then let them curse me if they like, but you will bless me! When they attack me, they will be disgraced! But I, your servant, will go right on rejoicing!
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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; may their humiliation cover them like a cloak.
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Let my accusers be dressed in shame; let them wear their disgrace like a coat.
30 But I will give repeated thanks to the LORD, praising him to everyone.
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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 beside the needy, ready to save them from those who condemn them.
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Because God stands right next to the needy, to save them from any who would condemn them.
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by
Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2011 Common English Bible