Psalms 38:12

THE MESSAGE

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Those who intend to kill me set traps,and those who want to harm me threaten to destroy me;they plot treachery all day long.

Hebrew Names Version
They also who seek after my life lay snares. Those who seek my hurt speak mischievous things, And meditate deceits all day long.

King James Version
They also that seek after my life lay snares for me: and they that seek my hurt speak mischievous things, and imagine deceits all the day long.

English Standard Version
Those who seek my life lay their snares; those who seek my hurt speak of ruin and meditate treachery all day long.

New Century Version
Some people set traps to kill me. Those who want to hurt me plan trouble; all day long they think up lies.

New English Translation
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.

Amplified Bible
Those who seek my life lay snares for me, And those who seek to injure me threaten mischievous things and destruction; They devise treachery all the day long.

New American Standard Bible
Those who seek my life lay snares for me; And those who seek to injure me have threatened destruction, And they plot deception all day long.

World English Bible
They also who seek after my life lay snares. Those who seek my hurt speak mischievous things, And meditate deceits all day long.

Geneva Bible (1587)
They also, that seeke after my life, laye snares, and they that go about to do me euil, talke wicked things and imagine deceite continually.

Legacy Standard Bible
Those who search for my life lay snares for me;And those who seek to do me evil have threatened destruction,And they meditate on deception all day long.

Berean Standard Bible
Those who seek my life lay snares; those who wish me harm speak destruction, plotting deceit all day long.

Contemporary English Version
All who want me dead set traps to catch me, and those who want to harm and destroy me plan and plot all day.

Complete Jewish Bible
My friends and companions shun my disease; even the closest keep their distance.

Darby Translation
And they that seek after my life lay snares [for me]; and they that seek my hurt speak mischievous things, and meditate deceits all the day long.

Easy-to-Read Version
My enemies say bad things about me. They are spreading lies and rumors. They talk about me all the time.

George Lamsa Translation
They also that seek after my life and wish me evil lay hold on me and speak mischievous things and imagine deceits all the day long.

Good News Translation
Those who want to kill me lay traps for me, and those who want to hurt me threaten to ruin me; they never stop plotting against me.

Lexham English Bible
Those who seek my life lay snares as well, and those intent on my harm speak threats. They also plot deceit all day.

Literal Translation
And those seeking my life lay a snare; yea, those seeking my evil speak ruin, and they utter deceits all the day long.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
They that sought after my life, and to do me euell, spake of lyes and ymagined disceate all the daye longe.

American Standard Version
They also that seek after my life lay snares for me; And they that seek my hurt speak mischievous things, And meditate deceits all the day long.

Bible in Basic English
Those who have a desire to take my life put nets for me; those who are designing my destruction say evil things against me, all the day their minds are full of deceit.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
My friends and my companions stand aloof from my plague; and my kinsmen stand afar off.

King James Version (1611)
They also that seeke after my life, lay snares for me: and they that seeke my hurt, speake mischieuous things, and imagine deceits all the day long.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
They also that sought after my lyfe layde snares [for me]: and they that went about to do me euyll, talked of wickednesse, and imagined deceipt all the day long.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
While they pressed hard upon me that sought my soul: and they that sought my hurt spoke vanities, and devised deceits all the day.

English Revised Version
They also that seek after my life lay snares for me; and they that seek my hurt speak mischievous things, and imagine deceits all the day long.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and thei diden violence, that souyten my lijf. And thei that souyten yuels to me, spaken vanytees; and thouyten gilis al dai.

Update Bible Version
Those also that seek after my life lay snares [for me]; And those that seek my hurt speak mischievous things, And meditate deceits all the day long.

Webster's Bible Translation
They also that seek after my life lay snares [for me]: and they that seek my hurt speak mischievous things, and imagine deceits all the day long.

New King James Version
Those also who seek my life lay snares for me; Those who seek my hurt speak of destruction, And plan deception all the day long.

New Living Translation
Meanwhile, my enemies lay traps to kill me. Those who wish me harm make plans to ruin me. All day long they plan their treachery.

New Life Bible
Those who want to take my life set their traps. And those who want to destroy me talk about ways to do it. They make their sinful plans all day long.

New Revised Standard
Those who seek my life lay their snares; those who seek to hurt me speak of ruin, and meditate treachery all day long.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Yea they who are seeking my life, have laid snares, and they who are asking my harm, have threatened engulfing ruin, And, deceitful things - all day long, do they mutter.

Douay-Rheims Bible
(37-13) And they that sought my soul used violence. And they that sought evils to me spoke vain things, and studied deceits all the day long.

Revised Standard Version
Those who seek my life lay their snares, those who seek my hurt speak of ruin, and meditate treachery all the day long.

Young's Literal Translation
And those seeking my soul lay a snare, And those seeking my evil Have spoken mischievous things, And they do deceits meditate all the day.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Those who seek my life lay snares for me; And those who seek to injure me have threatened destruction, And they devise treachery all day long.

Contextual Overview

¹⁷I'm on the edge of losing it— the pain in my gut keeps burning. I'm ready to tell my story of failure, I'm no longer smug in my sin. My enemies are alive and in action, a lynch mob after my neck. I give out good and get back evil from God-haters who can't stand a God-lover. ²¹Don't dump me, God ; my God, don't stand me up. Hurry and help me; I want some wide-open space in my life!

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

lay snares: Psalms 10:9, Psalms 64:2-5, Psalms 119:110, Psalms 140:5, Psalms 141:9, 2 Samuel 17:1-3, Luke 20:19, Luke 20:20

speak: Psalms 35:20, Psalms 62:3, Psalms 62:4, 2 Samuel 16:7, 2 Samuel 16:8, Luke 20:21, Luke 20:22

Reciprocal: 1 Samuel 18:21 - a snare 1 Samuel 24:2 - and went 1 Samuel 26:2 - Saul arose Nehemiah 6:8 - thou feignest Psalms 12:2 - They Psalms 35:4 - that Psalms 36:4 - deviseth Psalms 59:3 - they Psalms 63:9 - seek Psalms 119:95 - wicked Psalms 140:2 - imagine Jeremiah 18:22 - and hid Matthew 26:63 - Jesus Mark 12:13 - they send Luke 6:7 - watched John 8:6 - as though 1 Peter 2:23 - when he was

Cross-References

Genesis 31:19
Laban was off shearing sheep. Rachel stole her father's household gods. And Jacob had concealed his plans so well that Laban the Aramean had no idea what was going on—he was totally in the dark. Jacob got away with everything he had and was soon across the Euphrates headed for the hill country of Gilead.

Genesis 38:1
About that time, Judah separated from his brothers and hooked up with a man in Adullam named Hirah. While there, Judah met the daughter of a Canaanite named Shua. He married her, they went to bed, she became pregnant and had a son named Er. She got pregnant again and had a son named Onan. She had still another son; she named this one Shelah. They were living at Kezib when she had him.

Genesis 38:8
So Judah told Onan, "Go and sleep with your brother's widow; it's the duty of a brother-in-law to keep your brother's line alive." But Onan knew that the child wouldn't be his, so whenever he slept with his brother's widow he spilled his semen on the ground so he wouldn't produce a child for his brother. God was much offended by what he did and also took his life.

Genesis 38:23
Judah said, "Let her have it then. If we keep looking, everyone will be poking fun at us. I kept my part of the bargain—I sent the kid goat but you couldn't find her."

Judges 14:1
Samson went down to Timnah. There in Timnah a woman caught his eye, a Philistine girl. He came back and told his father and mother, "I saw a woman in Timnah, a Philistine girl; get her for me as my wife."

1 Samuel 25:36
When Abigail got home she found Nabal presiding over a huge banquet. He was in high spirits—and very, very drunk. So she didn't tell him anything of what she'd done until morning. But in the morning, after Nabal had sobered up, she told him the whole story. Right then and there he had a heart attack and fell into a coma. About ten days later God finished him off and he died.

2 Samuel 13:39
Some time later, this happened: Absalom, David's son, had a sister who was very attractive. Her name was Tamar. Amnon, also David's son, was in love with her. Amnon was obsessed with his sister Tamar to the point of making himself sick over her. She was a virgin, so he couldn't see how he could get his hands on her. Amnon had a good friend, Jonadab, the son of David's brother Shimeah. Jonadab was exceptionally streetwise. He said to Amnon, "Why are you moping around like this, day after day—you, the son of the king! Tell me what's eating at you." "In a word, Tamar," said Amnon. "My brother Absalom's sister. I'm in love with her." "Here's what you do," said Jonadab. "Go to bed and pretend you're sick. When your father comes to visit you, say, ‘Have my sister Tamar come and prepare some supper for me here where I can watch her and she can feed me.'" So Amnon took to his bed and acted sick. When the king came to visit, Amnon said, "Would you do me a favor? Have my sister Tamar come and make some nourishing dumplings here where I can watch her and be fed by her." David sent word to Tamar who was home at the time: "Go to the house of your brother Amnon and prepare a meal for him." So Tamar went to her brother Amnon's house. She took dough, kneaded it, formed it into dumplings, and cooked them while he watched from his bed. But when she took the cooking pot and served him, he wouldn't eat. Amnon said, "Clear everyone out of the house," and they all cleared out. Then he said to Tamar, "Bring the food into my bedroom, where we can eat in privacy." She took the nourishing dumplings she had prepared and brought them to her brother Amnon in his bedroom. But when she got ready to feed him, he grabbed her and said, "Come to bed with me, sister!" "No, brother!" she said, "Don't hurt me! This kind of thing isn't done in Israel! Don't do this terrible thing! Where could I ever show my face? And you—you'll be out on the street in disgrace. Oh, please! Speak to the king—he'll let you marry me." But he wouldn't listen. Being much stronger than she, he raped her. No sooner had Amnon raped her than he hated her—an immense hatred. The hatred that he felt for her was greater than the love he'd had for her. "Get up," he said, "and get out!" "Oh no, brother," she said. "Please! This is an even worse evil than what you just did to me!" But he wouldn't listen to her. He called for his valet. "Get rid of this woman. Get her out of my sight! And lock the door after her." The valet threw her out and locked the door behind her. She was wearing a long-sleeved gown. (That's how virgin princesses used to dress from early adolescence on.) Tamar poured ashes on her head, then she ripped the long-sleeved gown, held her head in her hands, and walked away, sobbing as she went. Her brother Absalom said to her, "Has your brother Amnon had his way with you? Now, my dear sister, let's keep it quiet—a family matter. He is, after all, your brother. Don't take this so hard." Tamar lived in her brother Absalom's home, bitter and desolate. King David heard the whole story and was enraged, but he didn't discipline Amnon. David doted on him because he was his firstborn. Absalom quit speaking to Amnon—not a word, whether good or bad—because he hated him for violating his sister Tamar. Two years went by. One day Absalom threw a sheep-shearing party in Baal Hazor in the vicinity of Ephraim and invited all the king's sons. He also went to the king and invited him. "Look, I'm throwing a sheep-shearing party. Come, and bring your servants." But the king said, "No, son—not this time, and not the whole household. We'd just be a burden to you." Absalom pushed, but David wouldn't budge. But he did give him his blessing. Then Absalom said, "Well, if you won't come, at least let my brother Amnon come." "And why," said the king, "should he go with you?" But Absalom was so insistent that he gave in and let Amnon and all the rest of the king's sons go. Absalom prepared a banquet fit for a king. Then he instructed his servants, "Look sharp, now. When Amnon is well into the sauce and feeling no pain, and I give the order ‘Strike Amnon,' kill him. And don't be afraid—I'm the one giving the command. Courage! You can do it!" Absalom's servants did to Amnon exactly what their master ordered. All the king's sons got out as fast as they could, jumped on their mules, and rode off. While they were still on the road, a rumor came to the king: "Absalom just killed all the king's sons—not one is left!" The king stood up, ripped his clothes to shreds, and threw himself on the floor. All his servants who were standing around at the time did the same. Just then, Jonadab, his brother Shimeah's son, stepped up. "My master must not think that all the young men, the king's sons, are dead. Only Amnon is dead. This happened because of Absalom's outrage since the day that Amnon violated his sister Tamar. So my master, the king, mustn't make things worse than they are, thinking that all your sons are dead. Only Amnon is dead." Absalom fled. Just then the sentry on duty looked up and saw a cloud of dust on the road from Horonaim alongside the mountain. He came and told the king, "I've just seen a bunch of men on the Horonaim road, coming around the mountain." Then Jonadab exclaimed to the king, "See! It's the king's sons coming, just as I said!" He had no sooner said the words than the king's sons burst in—loud laments and weeping! The king joined in, along with all the servants—loud weeping, many tears. David mourned the death of his son a long time. When Absalom fled, he went to Talmai son of Ammihud, king of Geshur. He was there three years. The king finally gave up trying to get back at Absalom. He had come to terms with Amnon's death.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

They also that seek after my life,.... His avowed and implacable enemies, whom nothing would satisfy but the taking away of his life: these came too near him; for these, he says,

lay snares [for me], as Satan does for the souls of men, as the Jews did for Christ, and as wicked men do for the saints, Psalms 124:7;

and they that seek my hurt speak mischievous things; to the injury of his character and reputation:

and imagine deceits all the day long; contrive artful schemes to deceive; see Psalms 35:20.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

They also that seek after my life - This was a new aggravation of his affliction, that those who were his enemies now sought to accomplish their purposes against him with better hopes of success, by taking advantage of his sickness.

Lay snares for me - On the meaning of this phrase, see the notes at Psalms 9:15. The idea here is that they sought this opportunity of ensnaring or entrapping him so as to ruin him. They took advantage of the fact that he was weak and helpless, and of the fact that he was forsaken or abandoned by his friends, to accomplish his ruin. how this was done is not stated. It might have been by their coming on him when he was thus helpless; or it might have been by endeavoring in his weak condition to extort confessions or promises from him that might be turned to his ruin. An enemy may hope to succeed much better when the one opposed is sick than when he is well, and may take advantage of his weak state of body and mind, and of the fact that he seems to be forsaken by all, to accomplish what could not be done if he were in the enjoyment of health, or sustained by powerful friends, or by a public opinion in his favor.

And they that seek my hurt - They who seek to injure me.

Speak mischievous things - Slanderous words. They charge on me things that are false, and that tend to injure me. The very fact that he was thus afflicted, they might urge (in accordance with a prevailing belief, and with the conviction of the psalmist also, Psalms 38:3-5) as a proof of guilt. This was done by the three friends of Job; and the enemies of the psalmist may thus have taken advantage of his sickness to circulate false reports about him which he could not then well meet.

And imagine deceits - Imagine or feign deceitful things; things which they know to be false or unfounded.

All the day long - Constantly. They seem to have no other employment. See Psalms 35:20.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Psalms 38:12. They also that seek after my life — They act towards me as huntsmen after their prey; they lay snares to take away my life. Perhaps this means only that they wished for his death, and would have been glad to have had it in their power to end his days. Others spoke all manner of evil of him, and told falsities against him all the day long.