New Revised Standard NRS
The Bible in Basic English BBE
1 Do not be silent, O God of my praise.
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<To the chief music-maker. Of David. A Psalm.> God of my praise, let my prayer be answered;
2 For wicked and deceitful mouths are opened against me, speaking against me with lying tongues.
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For the mouth of the sinner is open against me in deceit: his tongue has said false things against me.
3 They beset me with words of hate, and attack me without cause.
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Words of hate are round about me; they have made war against me without cause.
4 In return for my love they accuse me, even while I make prayer for them.
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For my love they give me back hate; but I have given myself to prayer.
5 So they reward me evil for good, and hatred for my love.
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They have put on me evil for good; hate in exchange for my love.
6 They say, "Appoint a wicked man against him; let an accuser stand on his right.
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Put an evil man over him; and let one be placed at his right hand to say evil of him.
7 When he is tried, let him be found guilty; let his prayer be counted as sin.
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When he is judged, let the decision go against him; and may his prayer become sin.
8 May his days be few; may another seize his position.
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Let his life be short; let another take his position of authority.
9 May his children be orphans, and his wife a widow.
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Let his children have no father, and his wife be made a widow.
10 May his children wander about and beg; may they be driven out of the ruins they inhabit.
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Let his children be wanderers, looking to others for their food; let them be sent away from the company of their friends.
11 May the creditor seize all that he has; may strangers plunder the fruits of his toil.
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Let his creditor take all his goods; and let others have the profit of his work.
12 May there be no one to do him a kindness, nor anyone to pity his orphaned children.
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Let no man have pity on him, or give help to his children when he is dead.
13 May his posterity be cut off; may his name be blotted out in the second generation.
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Let his seed be cut off; in the coming generation let their name go out of memory.
14 May the iniquity of his father be remembered before the Lord, and do not let the sin of his mother be blotted out.
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Let the Lord keep in mind the wrongdoing of his fathers; and may the sin of his mother have no forgiveness.
15 Let them be before the Lord continually, and may his memory be cut off from the earth.
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Let them be ever before the eyes of the Lord, so that the memory of them may be cut off from the earth.
16 For he did not remember to show kindness, but pursued the poor and needy and the brokenhearted to their death.
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Because he had no mercy, but was cruel to the low and the poor, designing the death of the broken-hearted.
17 He loved to curse; let curses come on him. He did not like blessing; may it be far from him.
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As he took pleasure in cursing, so let it come on him; and as he had no delight in blessing, let it be far from him.
18 He clothed himself with cursing as his coat, may it soak into his body like water, like oil into his bones.
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He put on cursing like a robe, and it has come into his body like water, and into his bones like oil.
19 May it be like a garment that he wraps around himself, like a belt that he wears every day."
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Let it be to him as a robe which he puts on, let it be like a band which is round him at all times.
20 May that be the reward of my accusers from the Lord, of those who speak evil against my life.
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Let this be the reward given to my haters from the Lord, and to those who say evil of my soul.
21 But you, O Lord my Lord, act on my behalf for your name's sake; because your steadfast love is good, deliver me.
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But, O Lord God, give me your help, because of your name; take me out of danger, because your mercy is good.
22 For I am poor and needy, and my heart is pierced within me.
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For I am poor and in need, and my heart is wounded in me.
23 I am gone like a shadow at evening; I am shaken off like a locust.
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I am gone like the shade when it is stretched out: I am forced out of my place like a locust.
24 My knees are weak through fasting; my body has become gaunt.
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My knees are feeble for need of food; there is no fat on my bones.
25 I am an object of scorn to my accusers; when they see me, they shake their heads.
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As for me, they make sport of me; shaking their heads when they see me.
26 Help me, O Lord my God! Save me according to your steadfast love.
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Give me help, O Lord my God; in your mercy be my saviour;
27 Let them know that this is your hand; you, O Lord, have done it.
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So that they may see that it is the work of your hand; that you, Lord, have done it.
28 Let them curse, but you will bless. Let my assailants be put to shame; may your servant be glad.
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They may give curses but you give blessing; when they come up against me, put them to shame; but let your servant be glad.
29 May my accusers be clothed with dishonor; may they be wrapped in their own shame as in a mantle.
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Let my haters be clothed with shame, covering themselves with shame as with a robe.
30 With my mouth I will give great thanks to the Lord; I will praise him in the midst of the throng.
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I will give the Lord great praise with my mouth; yes, I will give praise to him among all the people.
31 For he stands at the right hand of the needy, to save them from those who would condemn them to death.
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For he is ever at the right hand of the poor, to take him out of the hands of those who go after his soul.
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.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.