King James Version

Psalms 38:12

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.

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Hebrew

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In the Hebrew text this line is Psalms 38:13.

וַיְנַקְשׁ֤וּvaynaqshvand catch snareנָקַשׁconjunction, verb, piel, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “and catch snare”, the next action in the storyH5367to entrap (with a noose), literally or figurativelycatch (lay a) snare.מְבַקְשֵׁ֬יmevaqshebeseechבָּקַשׁverb, piel, participle, construct — “beseech”, a verb used as a describing wordH1245to search out (by any method, specifically in worship or prayer); by implication, to strive afterask, beg, beseech, desire, enquire, get, make inquisition, procure, (make) request, require, seek (for).נַפְשִׁ֗יnafshicreatureנֶפֶשׁnoun, common, both genders, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, singular — “creature”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH5315properly, a breathing creature, i.e. animal of (abstractly) vitality; used very widely in a literal, accommodated or figurative sense (bodily or mental)any, appetite, beast, body, breath, creature, [idiom] dead(-ly), desire, [idiom] (dis-) contented, [idiom] fish, ghost, [phrase] greedy, he, heart(-y), (hath, [idiom] jeopardy of) life ([idiom] in jeopardy), lust, man, me, mind, mortally,…וְדֹרְשֵׁ֣יvedoresheand askדָּרַשׁconjunction, verb, qal, participle, construct — “and ask”, a verb used as a describing wordH1875properly, to tread or frequent; usually to follow (for pursuit or search); by implication, to seek or ask; specifically to worshipask, [idiom] at all, care for, [idiom] diligently, inquire, make inquisition, (necro-) mancer, question, require, search, seek (for, out), [idiom] surely.רָ֭עָתִיraatibadרַעnoun, common, feminine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, singular — “bad”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH7451bad or (as noun) evil (natural or moral)adversity, affliction, bad, calamity, [phrase] displease(-ure), distress, evil((-favouredness), man, thing), [phrase] exceedingly, [idiom] great, grief(-vous), harm, heavy, hurt(-ful), ill (favoured), [phrase] mark, mischief(-vous), misery…דִּבְּר֣וּdibrvspeakדָבַרverb, piel, perfect, 3rd person, common, plural — “speak”, a completed actionH1696perhaps properly, to arrange; but used figuratively (of words), to speak; rarely (in a destructive sense) to subdueanswer, appoint, bid, command, commune, declare, destroy, give, name, promise, pronounce, rehearse, say, speak, be spokesman, subdue, talk, teach, tell, think, use (entreaties), utter, [idiom] well, [idiom] work.הַוּ֑וֹתhauotcalamityהַוָּהnoun, common, feminine, plural, absolute — “calamity”, the ordinary formH1942by implication, of falling); desire; also ruincalamity, iniquity, mischief, mischievous (thing), naughtiness, naughty, noisome, perverse thing, substance, very wickedness.וּ֝מִרְמ֗וֹתumirmotand craftמִרְמָהconjunction, noun, common, feminine, plural, absolute — “and craft”, the ordinary formH4820fraudcraft, deceit(-ful, -fully), false, feigned, guile, subtilly, treachery.כָּלkalallכֹּלnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “all”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH3605properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)(in) all (manner, (ye)), altogether, any (manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as many as, (no-) thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole, whoso(-ever).הַיּ֥וֹםhayomthe as long asיוֹםdefinite article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “the as long as”, the ordinary formH3117a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by an associated term), (often used adverb)age, [phrase] always, [phrase] chronicals, continually(-ance), daily, ((birth-), each, to) day, (now a, two) days (agone), [phrase] elder, [idiom] end, [phrase] evening, [phrase] (for) ever(-lasting, -more), [idiom] full, life, as (so) lon…יֶהְגּֽוּyehgvimagineהָגָהverb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “imagine”, an unfinished actionH1897to murmur (in pleasure or anger); by implication, to ponderimagine, meditate, mourn, mutter, roar, [idiom] sore, speak, study, talk, utter.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

(38-13) They also that seek after my life lay snares for me; and they that seek my hurt speak crafty devices, and utter deceits all the day.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

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.

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.

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.

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.

Douay-Rheims

Thou hast corrected man for iniquity. And thou hast made his soul to waste away like a spider: surely in vain is any man disquieted.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

(38-13) They also that seek after my life lay snares for me; and they that seek my hurt speak crafty devices, and utter deceits all the day.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

While they pressed hard upon me that sought my soul: and they that sought my hurt spoke vanities, and devised deceits all the day.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

καὶ ἐξεβιάζοντο οἱ ζητοῦντες τὴν ψυχήν μου· καὶ οἱ ζητοῦντες τὰ κακά μοι ἐλάλησαν ματαιότητας, καὶ δολιότητας ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν ἐμελέτησαν.