King James Version

Psalms 40:14

Let them be ashamed and confounded together that seek after my soul to destroy it; let them be driven backward and put to shame that wish me evil.

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Hebrew

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In the Hebrew text this line is Psalms 40:15.

יֵ֘בֹ֤שׁוּyevoshvbe confoundedבּוּשׁverb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “be confounded”, an unfinished actionH954properly, to pale, i.e. by implication to be ashamed; also (by implication) to be disappointed or delayed(be, make, bring to, cause, put to, with, a-) shamed(-d), be (put to) confounded(-fusion), become dry, delay, be long.וְיַחְפְּר֨וּveyachpervand be ashamedחָפֵרconjunction, verb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “and be ashamed”, an unfinished actionH2659to blush; figuratively, to be ashamed, disappointed; causatively, to shame, reproachbe ashamed, be confounded, be brought to confusion (unto shame), come (be put to) shame, bring reproach.יַחַד֮yachadalikeיַחַדadverb — “alike”H3162properly, a unit, i.e. (adverb) unitedlyalike, at all (once), both, likewise, only, (al-) together, withal.מְבַקְשֵׁ֥יmevaqshebeseechבָּקַשׁverb, 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,…לִסְפּ֫וֹתָ֥הּlispotahto perishסָפָהpreposition, verb, qal, infinitive construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, feminine, singular — “to perish”, the to-form of the verbH5595properly, to scrape (literally, to shave; but usually figuratively) together (i.e. to accumulate or increase) or away (i.e. to scatter, remove, or ruin; intransitively, to perish)add, augment, consume, destroy, heap, join, perish, put.יִסֹּ֣גוּyisogvgo backסוּגverb, niphal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “go back”, an unfinished actionH5472properly, to flinch, i.e. (by implication) to go back, literally (to retreat) or figuratively (to apostatize)backslider, drive, go back, turn (away, back).אָ֭חוֹרachorafterאָחוֹרnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “after”, the ordinary formH268the hinder part; hence (adverb) behind, backward; also (as facing north) the Westafter(-ward), back (part, -side, -ward), hereafter, (be-) hind(-er part), time to come, without.וְיִכָּלְמ֑וּveyikalemvand blushכָּלַםconjunction, verb, niphal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “and blush”, an unfinished actionH3637properly, to wound; but only figuratively, to taunt or insultbe (make) ashamed, blush, be confounded, be put to confusion, hurt, reproach, (do, put to) shame.חֲ֝פֵצֵ֗יchafetsedelight inחָפֵץadjective, adjective, masculine, plural, construct — “delight in”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH2655pleased withdelight in, desire, favour, please, have pleasure, whosoever would, willing, wish.רָעָתִֽיraatibadרַעnoun, 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…

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

(40-15) Let them be ashamed and abashed together that seek after my soul to sweep it away; let them be turned backward and brought to confusion that delight in my hurt.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

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

American Standard Version (1901)

Let them be put to shame and confounded together That seek after my soul to destroy it: Let them be turned backward and brought to dishonor That delight in my hurt.

Young’s Literal Translation

They are ashamed and confounded together, Who are seeking my soul to destroy it, They are turned backward, And are ashamed, who are desiring my evil.

World English Bible

Let them be disappointed and confounded together who seek after my soul to destroy it. Let them be turned backward and brought to dishonor who delight in my hurt.

Darby Translation

Let them be ashamed and brought to confusion together that seek after my soul to destroy it; let them be turned backward and confounded that take pleasure in mine adversity;

Douay-Rheims

Blessed by the Lord the God of Israel from eternity to eternity. So be it. So be it.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

(40-15) Let them be ashamed and abashed together that seek after my soul to sweep it away; let them be turned backward and brought to confusion that delight in my hurt.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

Let those that seek my soul, to destroy it, be ashamed and confounded together; let those that wish me evil be turned backward and put to shame.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Καταισχυνθείησαν καὶ ἐντραπείησαν ἅμα οἱ ζητοῦντες τὴν ψυχήν μου, τοῦ ἐξάραι αὐτήν· ἀποστραφείησαν εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω, καὶ ἐντραπείησαν οἱ θέλοντές μοι κακά.