Psalm 26:9
New International Version
Do not take away my soul along with sinners, my life with those who are bloodthirsty,

New Living Translation
Don’t let me suffer the fate of sinners. Don’t condemn me along with murderers.

English Standard Version
Do not sweep my soul away with sinners, nor my life with bloodthirsty men,

Berean Standard Bible
Do not take my soul away with sinners, or my life with men of bloodshed,

King James Bible
Gather not my soul with sinners, nor my life with bloody men:

New King James Version
Do not gather my soul with sinners, Nor my life with bloodthirsty men,

New American Standard Bible
Do not take my soul away along with sinners, Nor my life with men of bloodshed,

NASB 1995
Do not take my soul away along with sinners, Nor my life with men of bloodshed,

NASB 1977
Do not take my soul away along with sinners, Nor my life with men of bloodshed,

Legacy Standard Bible
Do not take my soul away along with sinners, Nor my life with men of bloodshed,

Amplified Bible
Do not sweep my soul away with sinners, Nor [sweep away] my life with men of bloodshed,

Christian Standard Bible
Do not destroy me along with sinners, or my life along with men of bloodshed

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Do not destroy me along with sinners, or my life along with men of bloodshed

American Standard Version
Gather not my soul with sinners, Nor my life with men of blood;

Contemporary English Version
Don't sweep me away, as you do sinners. Don't punish me with death as you do those people who are brutal

English Revised Version
Gather not my soul with sinners, nor my life with men of blood:

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Do not sweep away my soul along with hardened sinners or my life along with bloodthirsty people.

Good News Translation
Do not destroy me with the sinners; spare me from the fate of murderers--

International Standard Version
Do not group me with sinners, nor include me with men who shed blood.

Majority Standard Bible
Do not take my soul away with sinners, or my life with men of bloodshed,

NET Bible
Do not sweep me away with sinners, or execute me along with violent people,

New Heart English Bible
Do not gather my soul with sinners, nor my life with bloodthirsty men;

Webster's Bible Translation
Gather not my soul with sinners, nor my life with bloody men:

World English Bible
Don’t gather my soul with sinners, nor my life with bloodthirsty men
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Do not gather my soul with sinners, "" And my life with men of blood,

Young's Literal Translation
Do not gather with sinners my soul, And with men of blood my life,

Smith's Literal Translation
Thou wilt not gather my soul with the sinning, and my life with men of bloods:
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Take not away my soul, O God, with the wicked: nor my life with bloody men:

Catholic Public Domain Version
O God, do not let my soul perish with the impious, nor my life with the men of blood,

New American Bible
Do not take me away with sinners, nor my life with the men of blood,

New Revised Standard Version
Do not sweep me away with sinners, nor my life with the bloodthirsty,
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Destroy me not with sinners nor my life with bloody men,

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Do not destroy me with the sinners, or my life with bloody men.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Gather not my soul with sinners, Nor my life with men of blood;

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Destroy not my soul together with the ungodly, nor my life with bloody men:

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Vindicate Me, O LORD
8O LORD, I love the house where You dwell, the place where Your glory resides. 9Do not take my soul away with sinners, or my life with men of bloodshed, 10in whose hands are wicked schemes, whose right hands are full of bribes.…

Cross References
Proverbs 1:15-16
my son, do not walk the road with them or set foot upon their path. / For their feet run to evil, and they are swift to shed blood.

Proverbs 4:14-15
Do not set foot on the path of the wicked or walk in the way of evildoers. / Avoid it; do not travel on it. Turn from it and pass on by.

Proverbs 24:1-2
Do not envy wicked men or desire their company; / for their hearts devise violence, and their lips declare trouble.

Psalm 1:1
Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, or set foot on the path of sinners, or sit in the seat of mockers.

Psalm 119:115
Depart from me, you evildoers, that I may obey the commandments of my God.

Isaiah 1:15
When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide My eyes from you; even though you multiply your prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are covered with blood.

Isaiah 33:15
He who walks righteously and speaks with sincerity, who refuses gain from extortion, whose hand never takes a bribe, who stops his ears against murderous plots and shuts his eyes tightly against evil—

Jeremiah 15:17
I never sat with the band of revelers, nor did I celebrate with them. Because Your hand was on me, I sat alone, for You have filled me with indignation.

Jeremiah 7:16
As for you, do not pray for these people, do not offer a plea or petition on their behalf, and do not beg Me, for I will not listen to you.

Ezekiel 9:4-6
“Go throughout the city of Jerusalem,” said the LORD, “and put a mark on the foreheads of the men sighing and groaning over all the abominations committed there.” / And as I listened, He said to the others, “Follow him through the city and start killing; do not show pity or spare anyone! / Slaughter the old men, the young men and maidens, the women and children; but do not go near anyone who has the mark. Now begin at My sanctuary.” So they began with the elders who were before the temple.

Matthew 7:22-23
Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ / Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness!’

Matthew 25:31-33
When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, He will sit on His glorious throne. / All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate the people one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. / He will place the sheep on His right and the goats on His left.

Luke 13:26-27
Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’ / And he will answer, ‘I tell you, I do not know where you are from. Depart from me, all you evildoers.’

John 17:15
I am not asking that You take them out of the world, but that You keep them from the evil one.

Romans 16:17-18
Now I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who create divisions and obstacles that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Turn away from them. / For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive.


Treasury of Scripture

Gather not my soul with sinners, nor my life with bloody men:

Gather not.

Psalm 28:1-3
A Psalm of David. Unto thee will I cry, O LORD my rock; be not silent to me: lest, if thou be silent to me, I become like them that go down into the pit…

1 Samuel 25:29
Yet a man is risen to pursue thee, and to seek thy soul: but the soul of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of life with the LORD thy God; and the souls of thine enemies, them shall he sling out, as out of the middle of a sling.

Malachi 3:18
Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.

bloody men [heb.

Psalm 51:14
Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness.

Psalm 55:23
But thou, O God, shalt bring them down into the pit of destruction: bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days; but I will trust in thee.

Psalm 139:19
Surely thou wilt slay the wicked, O God: depart from me therefore, ye bloody men.

Jump to Previous
Blood Bloodshed Bloodthirsty Bloody Gather Life Numbered Sinners Soul Sweep
Jump to Next
Blood Bloodshed Bloodthirsty Bloody Gather Life Numbered Sinners Soul Sweep
Psalm 26
1. David resorts to God in confidence of his integrity














Do not take my soul
The phrase "Do not take my soul" is a heartfelt plea from David, the psalmist, expressing his desire for divine protection and separation from the fate of the wicked. The Hebrew word for "soul" here is "nephesh," which often denotes the life or the very essence of a person. In the ancient Hebrew context, the soul was not just a part of a person but represented the whole being. David's request is not merely for physical preservation but for the safeguarding of his entire being from the consequences of sin and association with the wicked. This plea reflects a deep trust in God's justice and mercy, acknowledging that God alone has the power over life and death.

along with sinners
The phrase "along with sinners" highlights David's desire to be distinguished from those who live in rebellion against God. The Hebrew word for "sinners" is "chata'im," which refers to those who miss the mark of God's standards. In the historical context of Israel, being counted among sinners was not just a social stigma but a spiritual peril. David's plea is rooted in a desire for holiness and a life set apart for God. This reflects the biblical theme of separation from sin and the call to live a life that is pleasing to God, as seen throughout the Old and New Testaments.

or my life with men of bloodshed
The phrase "or my life with men of bloodshed" further emphasizes David's plea for separation from those who commit acts of violence and injustice. The term "men of bloodshed" refers to individuals who are characterized by violence and murder. In the ancient Near Eastern context, such individuals were often seen as threats to the community's peace and stability. David's request underscores his commitment to righteousness and his desire to avoid the influence and judgment that comes upon those who engage in such acts. This plea aligns with the biblical principle that God abhors violence and calls His people to pursue peace and justice.

(9) Gather not.--Better as in margin. The psalmist prays that he may be spared to worship in the sanctuary, when doom falls on evildoers and carries them off. The LXX. and Vulg. have "destroy not."

Verse 9. - Gather not my soul with sinners. Unite me not in one doom with open sinners - those with whom I have always refused to consort (vers. 4, 5) - whose congregation I have "hated." "That the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?" (Genesis 18:25). Nor my life with bloody men. Bloody men - literally, men of bloods - are the worst of wicked men, cut-throats, assassins, murderers. At any rate, put me not on a par with them. Little, probably, did the psalmist think at this time how soon he was to become, practically, a murderer, and to "slay Uriah the Hittite with the sword of the children of Ammon" (2 Samuel 12:9)

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Do not
אַל־ (’al-)
Adverb
Strong's 408: Not

take
תֶּאֱסֹ֣ף (te·’ĕ·sōp̄)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 622: To gather for, any purpose, to receive, take away, remove

my soul
נַפְשִׁ֑י (nap̄·šî)
Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 5315: A soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, passion, appetite, emotion

away with
עִם־ (‘im-)
Preposition
Strong's 5973: With, equally with

sinners,
חַטָּאִ֣ים (ḥaṭ·ṭā·’îm)
Adjective - masculine plural
Strong's 2400: A criminal, one accounted guilty

or my life
חַיָּֽי׃ (ḥay·yāy)
Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common singular
Strong's 2416: Alive, raw, fresh, strong, life

with
וְעִם־ (wə·‘im-)
Conjunctive waw | Preposition
Strong's 5973: With, equally with

men
אַנְשֵׁ֖י (’an·šê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 376: A man as an individual, a male person

of bloodshed,
דָמִ֣ים (ḏā·mîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 1818: Blood, of man, an animal, the juice of the grape, bloodshed


Links
Psalm 26:9 NIV
Psalm 26:9 NLT
Psalm 26:9 ESV
Psalm 26:9 NASB
Psalm 26:9 KJV

Psalm 26:9 BibleApps.com
Psalm 26:9 Biblia Paralela
Psalm 26:9 Chinese Bible
Psalm 26:9 French Bible
Psalm 26:9 Catholic Bible

OT Poetry: Psalm 26:9 Don't gather my soul with sinners (Psalm Ps Psa.)
Psalm 26:8
Top of Page
Top of Page