All who hate me whisper insults about me to one another; ¹  they plan ways to harm me.

“Now a word was secretly ¹  brought ²  to me, and my ear caught ³  a whisper ⁴  of it.

A perverse person ¹  spreads dissension, and a gossip separates the closest friends. ² 

What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light, and what is whispered in your ear, ¹  proclaim from the housetops. ² 

When David saw that his servants were whispering to one another, he ¹  realized that the child was dead. So David asked his servants, “Is the child dead?” They replied, “Yes, he’s dead.”

He calmed the storm, ¹  and the waves ²  grew silent.

So then ¹  whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered ²  in private rooms ³  will be proclaimed from the housetops. ⁴ 

Indeed, these are but the outer fringes of his ways! ¹  How faint is the whisper ²  we hear of him! But who can understand the thunder of his power?”

After the earthquake, there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. After the fire, there was a soft whisper. ¹ 

The words of a gossip ¹  are like choice morsels; ²  they go down into the person’s innermost being. ³ 

Where there is no wood, a fire goes out, and where there is no gossip, ¹  contention ceases. ² 

My assailants revile and conspire ¹  against me all day long.

You will fall; while lying on the ground ¹  you will speak; from the dust where you lie, your words will be heard. ²  Your voice will sound like a spirit speaking from the underworld; ³  from the dust you will chirp as if muttering an incantation. ⁴ 

The words of a gossip are like delicious morsels; they go down into a person’s innermost being. ¹ 

O Lord, in distress they looked for you; they uttered incantations because of your discipline. ¹ 

¹ They will say to you, “Seek oracles at the pits used to conjure up underworld spirits, from the magicians who chirp and mutter incantations. ²  Should people not seek oracles from their gods, by asking the dead about the destiny of the living?” ³ 

I ¹  hear many whispering words of intrigue against me. Those who would cause me terror are everywhere! ²  They are saying, “Come on, let’s publicly denounce him!” ³  All my so-called friends ⁴  are just watching for something that would lead to my downfall. ⁵  They say, “Perhaps he can be enticed into slipping up, so we can prevail over ⁶  him and get our revenge on him.

my ¹  lips will not speak wickedness, and my tongue will whisper ²  no deceit.

Then he gives a revelation ¹  to people, and terrifies them with warnings, ² 

Now some of the experts in the law ¹  were sitting there, turning these things over in their minds: ²