11 Ruthless witnesses come forward;

they question me on things I know nothing about.

12 They repay me evil for good

and leave me like one bereaved.

13 Yet when they were ill, I put on sackcloth

and humbled myself with fasting.

When my prayers returned to me unanswered,

14 I went about mourning

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;

assailants gathered against me without my knowledge.

They slandered me without ceasing.

16 Like the ungodly they maliciously mocked;

they gnashed their teeth at me.

11 Malicious witnesses rise up;

they ask me of things that I do not know.

12 They repay me evil for good;

my soul is bereft.

13 But I, when they were sick—

I wore sackcloth;

I afflicted myself with fasting;

I prayed with head bowed on my chest.

14 I went about as though I grieved for my friend or my brother;

as one who laments his mother,

I bowed down in mourning.

15 But at my stumbling they rejoiced and gathered;

they gathered together against me;

wretches whom I did not know

tore at me without ceasing;

16 like profane mockers at a feast,

they gnash at me with their teeth.

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.

11 Malicious witnesses testify against me.

They accuse me of crimes I know nothing about.

12 They repay me evil for good.

I am sick with despair.

13 Yet when they were ill, I grieved for them.

I denied myself by fasting for them,

but my prayers returned unanswered.

14 I was sad, as though they were my friends or family,

as if I were grieving for my own mother.

15 But they are glad now that I am in trouble;

they gleefully join together against me.

I am attacked by people I don’t even know;

they slander me constantly.

16 They mock me and call me names;

they snarl at me.

11 Men without mercy stand up to testify.

They ask me things I do not know.

12 They repay me with evil for the good I have done,

and they make me very sad.

13 Yet when they were sick, I put on clothes of sadness

and showed my sorrow by fasting.

But my prayers were not answered.

14 I acted as if they were my friends or brothers.

I bowed in sadness as if I were crying for my mother.

15 But when I was in trouble, they gathered and laughed;

they gathered to attack before I knew it.

They insulted me without stopping.

16 They made fun of me and were cruel to me

and ground their teeth at me in anger.

11 Unrighteous witnesses rise up;

They ask me of things that I know not.

12 They reward me evil for good,

To the bereaving of my soul.

13 But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth:

I afflicted my soul with fasting;

And my prayer returned into mine own bosom.

14 I behaved myself as though it had been my friend or my brother:

I bowed down mourning, as one that bewaileth his mother.

15 But in mine adversity they rejoiced, and gathered themselves together:

The abjects gathered themselves together against me, and I knew it not;

They did tear me, and ceased not:

16 Like the profane mockers in feasts,

They gnashed upon me with their teeth.

11 Unrighteous witnesses rise up; they lay to my charge things which I know not. 12 They reward me evil for good, to the bereavement of my soul. 13 But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth; I chastened my soul with fasting, and my prayer returned into mine own bosom: 14 I behaved myself as though he had been a friend, a brother to me; I bowed down in sadness, as one that mourneth for a mother. 15 But at my halting they rejoiced, and gathered together: the slanderers gathered themselves together against me, and I knew it not; they did tear me, and ceased not: 16 With profane jesters for bread, they have gnashed their teeth against me.

11 Malicious people bring charges against me. 

They ask me things I know nothing about. 

12 I am devastated 

because they pay me back with evil instead of good. 

13 But when they were sick, I wore sackcloth. 

I humbled myself with fasting. 

When my prayer returned unanswered, 

14 I walked around as if I were mourning for my friend or my brother. 

I was bent over as if I were mourning for my mother. 

15 Yet, when I stumbled, 

they rejoiced and gathered together. 

They gathered together against me. 

Unknown attackers tore me apart without stopping. 

16 With crude and abusive mockers, 

they grit their teeth at me. 

11 Malicious witnesses come forward;

they question me about things I do not know.

12 They repay me evil for good,

making me desolate.

13 Yet when they were sick,

my clothing was sackcloth;

I humbled myself with fasting,

and my prayer was genuine.

14 I went about grieving as if for my friend or brother;

I was bowed down with grief,

like one mourning a mother.

15 But when I stumbled, they gathered in glee;

they gathered against me.

Assailants I did not know

tore at me and did not stop.

16 With godless mockery

they gnashed their teeth at me.

11 Malicious witnesses rise up;

they ask me about things I do not know.

12 They repay me evil for good;

my soul is forlorn.

13 But as for me, when they were sick,

I wore sackcloth;

I afflicted myself with fasting.

I prayed with head bowed on my bosom,

14 as though I grieved for a friend or a brother;

I went about as one who laments for a mother,

bowed down and in mourning.

15 But at my stumbling they gathered in glee,

they gathered together against me;

ruffians whom I did not know

tore at me without ceasing;

16 they impiously mocked more and more,

gnashing at me with their teeth.

11 Violent witnesses rise up;

they ask me concerning what I do not know.

12 They repay me evil in place of good.

It is bereavement to my soul.

13 But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth.

I weakened my soul with fasting,

and my prayer returned to me unanswered.

14 I behaved as though he were a friend or as a brother to me.

As one lamenting a mother, I was bowed down in mourning.

15 But at my stumbling they rejoiced and gathered together;

smiters whom I did not know gathered against me.

They tore and did not cease.

16 Among the ungodly of the mockers at feasts,

they gnashed at me with their teeth.

11 Mean people come forward to give witness against me.

They ask me things I don’t know anything about.

12 They pay me back with evil, even though I was good to them.

They leave me without hope.

13 But when they were sick, I put on black clothes.

I made myself low by going without food.

My prayers for them weren’t always answered.

14 So I went around crying

as if I were crying over my friend or relative.

I bowed my head in sadness

as if I were sobbing over my mother.

15 But when I tripped and fell, they were all very happy.

Attackers gathered against me when I didn’t even know it.

They kept on telling lies about me.

16 They were like ungodly people. They made fun of me.

They ground their teeth at me in hate.

11 Malicious witnesses rise up;

They ask me of things that I do not know.

12 They repay me evil for good,

To the bereavement 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 kept returning to my bosom.

14 I went about as though it were my friend or brother;

I bowed down mourning, as one who sorrows for a mother.

15 But at my stumbling they rejoiced and gathered themselves together;

The smiters whom I did not know gathered together against me,

They slandered me without ceasing.

16 Like godless jesters at a feast,

They gnashed at me with their teeth.