Psalms 14:4

14:4 All those who behave wickedly do not understand –

those who devour my people as if they were eating bread,

and do not call out to the Lord.

Psalms 35:4

35:4 May those who seek my life be embarrassed and humiliated!

May those who plan to harm me be turned back and ashamed!

Psalms 35:19

35:19 Do not let those who are my enemies for no reason gloat over me!

Do not let those who hate me without cause carry out their wicked schemes!

Psalms 35:26

35:26 May those who want to harm me be totally embarrassed and ashamed!

May those who arrogantly taunt me be covered with shame and humiliation!

Psalms 38:12

38:12 Those who seek my life try to entrap me;

those who want to harm me speak destructive words;

all day long they say deceitful things.

Psalms 40:14

40:14 May those who are trying to snatch away my life

be totally embarrassed and ashamed! 10 

May those who want to harm me

be turned back and ashamed! 11 

Psalms 40:16

40:16 May all those who seek you be happy and rejoice in you!

May those who love to experience 12  your deliverance say continually, 13 

“May the Lord be praised!” 14 

Psalms 53:4

53:4 All those who behave wickedly 15  do not understand 16 

those who devour my people as if they were eating bread,

and do not call out to God.

Psalms 65:8

65:8 Even those living in the most remote areas are awestruck by your acts; 17 

you cause those living in the east and west to praise you. 18 

Psalms 70:2

70:2 May those who are trying to take my life

be embarrassed and ashamed! 19 

May those who want to harm me

be turned back and ashamed! 20 

Psalms 70:4

70:4 May all those who seek you be happy and rejoice in you!

May those who love to experience 21  your deliverance say continually, 22 

“May God 23  be praised!” 24 

Psalms 125:5

125:5 As for those who are bent on traveling a sinful path, 25 

may the Lord remove them, 26  along with those who behave wickedly! 27 

May Israel experience peace! 28 


tn Heb “all the workers of wickedness.” See Pss 5:5; 6:8.

tn Heb “Do they not understand?” The rhetorical question (rendered in the translation as a positive affirmation) expresses the psalmist’s amazement at their apparent lack of understanding. This may refer to their lack of moral understanding, but it more likely refers to their failure to anticipate God’s defense of his people (see vv. 5-7).

tn The four prefixed verbal forms in this verse are understood as jussives. The psalmist is calling judgment down on his enemies. See also the distinct jussive form in v. 6.

tn Heb “[with] a lie.” The Hebrew noun שֶׁקֶר (sheqer, “lie”) is used here as an adverb, “falsely, wrongfully” (see Ps 38:19).

tn Heb “rejoice.”

tn Heb “[do not let] those who hate me without cause pinch [i.e., wink] an eye.” The negative particle is understood in the second line by ellipsis (see the preceding line). In the Book of Proverbs “winking an eye” is associated with deceit and trickery (see 6:13; 10:10; 16:30).

tn Heb “may they be embarrassed and ashamed together, the ones who rejoice over my harm.”

tn Heb “may they be clothed with shame and humiliation, the ones who magnify [themselves] against me.” The prefixed verbal forms in v. 26 are understood as jussives (see vv. 24b-25, where the negative particle אַל (’al) appears before the prefixed verbal forms, indicating they are jussives). The psalmist is calling down judgment on his enemies.

tn Heb “lay snares.”

10 tn Heb “may they be embarrassed and ashamed together, the ones seeking my life to snatch it away.”

11 tn The four prefixed verbal forms in this verse (“may those…be…embarrassed and ashamed…may those…be turned back and ashamed”) are understood as jussives. The psalmist is calling judgment down on his enemies.

sn See Ps 35:4 for a similar prayer.

12 tn Heb “those who love,” which stands metonymically for its cause, the experience of being delivered by the Lord.

13 tn The three prefixed verbal forms prior to the quotation are understood as jussives. The psalmist balances out his imprecation against his enemies with a prayer of blessing upon the godly.

14 tn The prefixed verbal form is taken as a jussive, “may the Lord be magnified [in praise].” Another option is to take the verb as an imperfect, “the Lord is great” (cf. NRSV). See Ps 35:27.

15 tn Heb “the workers of wickedness.” See Pss 5:5; 6:8. Ps 14:4 adds כֹּל (kol, “all of”) before “workers of wickedness.”

16 tn Heb “Do they not understand?” The rhetorical question expresses the psalmist’s amazement at their apparent lack of understanding. This may refer to their lack of moral understanding, but it more likely refers to their failure to anticipate God’s defense of his people (see vv. 5-6).

17 tn Heb “and the inhabitants of the ends fear because of your signs.” God’s “signs” are the “awesome acts” (see v. 5) he performs in the earth.

18 tn Heb “the goings out of the morning and the evening you cause to shout for joy.” The phrase “goings out of the morning and evening” refers to the sunrise and sunset, that is, the east and the west.

19 tn Heb “may they be embarrassed and ashamed, the ones seeking my life.” Ps 40:14 has “together” after “ashamed,” and “to snatch it away” after “my life.”

20 tn The four prefixed verbal forms in this verse are understood as jussives. The psalmist is calling judgment down on his enemies.

sn See Ps 35:4 for a similar prayer.

21 tn Heb “those who love,” which stands metonymically for its cause, the experience of being delivered by God.

22 tn The three prefixed verbal forms prior to the quotation are understood as jussives. The psalmist balances out his imprecation against his enemies with a prayer of blessing on the godly.

23 tn Ps 40:16 uses the divine name “Lord” here instead of “God.”

24 tn The prefixed verbal form is taken as a jussive, “may the Lord be magnified [in praise].” Another option is to take the verb as an imperfect, “the Lord is great.” See Ps 35:27.

25 tn Heb “and the ones making their paths twisted.” A sinful lifestyle is compared to a twisting, winding road.

26 tn Heb “lead them away.” The prefixed verbal form is understood as a jussive of prayer here (note the prayers directly before and after this). Another option is to translate, “the Lord will remove them” (cf. NIV, NRSV).

27 tn Heb “the workers of wickedness.”

28 tn Heb “peace [be] upon Israel.” The statement is understood as a prayer (see Ps 122:8 for a similar prayer for peace).