Psalms 71:9-13

71:9 Do not reject me in my old age! ¹ 

When my strength fails, do not abandon me!

71:10 For my enemies talk about me;

those waiting for a chance to kill me plot my demise. ² 

71:11 They say, ³  “God has abandoned him.

Run and seize him, for there is no one who will rescue him!”

71:12 O God, do not remain far away from me!

My God, hurry and help me! ⁴ 

71:13 May my accusers be humiliated and defeated!

May those who want to harm me ⁵  be covered with scorn and disgrace!

Psalms 109:29

109:29 My accusers will be covered ⁶  with shame,

and draped in humiliation as if it were a robe.

Micah 7:8-10

Jerusalem Will Be Vindicated

7:8 My enemies, ⁷  do not gloat ⁸  over me!

Though I have fallen, I will get up.

Though I sit in darkness, the Lord will be my light. ⁹ 

7:9 I must endure ¹⁰  the Lord’s anger,

for I have sinned against him.

But then ¹¹  he will defend my cause, ¹² 

and accomplish justice on my behalf.

He will lead me out into the light;

I will experience firsthand ¹³  his deliverance. ¹⁴ 

7:10 When my enemies see this, they will be covered with shame.

They say ¹⁵  to me, “Where is the Lord your God?”

I will gloat over them. ¹⁶ 

Then they will be trampled down ¹⁷ 

like mud in the streets.

[71:9]  ¹ tn Heb “do not cast me away at the time of old age.”

[71:10]  ² tn Heb “those who watch for my life consult together.”

[71:11]  ³ tn Heb “saying.”

[71:12]  ⁴ tn Heb “hurry to my help.”

[71:13]  ⁵ tn Heb “those who seek my harm.”

[109:29]  ⁶ tn Heb “clothed.” Another option is to translate the prefixed verbal forms in this line and the next as jussives (“may my accusers be covered with shame”).

[7:8]  ⁷ tn The singular form is understood as collective.

[7:8]  ⁸ tn Or “rejoice” (KJV, NAB, NASB, NRSV); NCV “don’t laugh at me.”

[7:8]  ⁹ sn Darkness represents judgment; light (also in v. 9) symbolizes deliverance. The Lord is the source of the latter.

[7:9]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “lift, bear.”

[7:9]  ¹¹ tn Heb “until.”

[7:9]  ¹² tn Or “plead my case” (NASB and NIV both similar); NRSV “until he takes my side.”

[7:9]  ¹³ tn Heb “see.”

[7:9]  ¹⁴ tn Or “justice, vindication.”

[7:10]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “who say.” A new sentence was begun here in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[7:10]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “My eyes will look on them.”

[7:10]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “a trampled-down place.”