11 Ruthless witnesses(A) come forward;
    they question me on things I know nothing about.
12 They repay me evil for good(B)
    and leave me like one bereaved.
13 Yet when they were ill, I put on sackcloth(C)
    and humbled myself with fasting.(D)
When my prayers returned to me unanswered,
14     I went about mourning(E)
    as though for my friend or brother.
I bowed my head in grief
    as though weeping for my mother.
15 But when I stumbled, they gathered in glee;(F)
    assailants gathered against me without my knowledge.
    They slandered(G) me without ceasing.
16 Like the ungodly they maliciously mocked;[a](H)
    they gnashed their teeth(I) at me.

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 35:16 Septuagint; Hebrew may mean Like an ungodly circle of mockers,

11 False witnesses did rise up; they laid to my charge things that I knew not.

12 They rewarded me evil for good to the spoiling of my soul.

13 But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth: I humbled my soul with fasting; and my prayer returned into mine own bosom.

14 I behaved myself as though he had been my friend or brother: I bowed down heavily, as one that mourneth for his mother.

15 But in mine adversity they rejoiced, and gathered themselves together: yea, the abjects gathered themselves together against me, and I knew it not; they did tear me, and ceased not:

16 With hypocritical mockers in feasts, they gnashed upon me with their teeth.

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Even my close friend,(A)
    someone I trusted,
one who shared my bread,
    has turned[a] against me.(B)

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 41:9 Hebrew has lifted up his heel

Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me.

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12 If an enemy were insulting me,
    I could endure it;
if a foe were rising against me,
    I could hide.
13 But it is you, a man like myself,
    my companion, my close friend,(A)
14 with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship(B)
    at the house of God,(C)
as we walked about
    among the worshipers.

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12 For it was not an enemy that reproached me; then I could have borne it: neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me; then I would have hid myself from him:

13 But it was thou, a man mine equal, my guide, and mine acquaintance.

14 We took sweet counsel together, and walked unto the house of God in company.

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20 My companion attacks his friends;(A)
    he violates his covenant.(B)

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20 He hath put forth his hands against such as be at peace with him: he hath broken his covenant.

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21 His talk is smooth as butter,(A)
    yet war is in his heart;
his words are more soothing than oil,(B)
    yet they are drawn swords.(C)

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21 The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart: his words were softer than oil, yet were they drawn swords.

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You have taken from me my closest friends(A)
    and have made me repulsive to them.
I am confined(B) and cannot escape;(C)

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Thou hast put away mine acquaintance far from me; thou hast made me an abomination unto them: I am shut up, and I cannot come forth.

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18 You have taken from me friend(A) and neighbor—
    darkness is my closest friend.

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18 Lover and friend hast thou put far from me, and mine acquaintance into darkness.

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