1 C ontend, O Lord, with those who contend with me; fight against those who fight against me!

¶ Plead my cause, O LORD, with those that strive with me; fight against those that fight against me.

2 T ake hold of shield and buckler, and stand up for my help!

Take hold of shield and buckler, and stand up in my help.

3 D raw out also the spear and javelin and close up the way of those who pursue and persecute me. Say to me, I am your deliverance!

Draw out also the spear, and stop the way against those that persecute me; say unto my soul; I am thy saving health.

4 L et them be put to shame and dishonor who seek and require my life; let them be turned back and confounded who plan my hurt!

Let them be confounded and put to shame that seek after my soul; let them be turned back and brought to confusion that devise my hurt.

5 L et them be as chaff before the wind, with the Angel of the Lord driving them on!

Let them be as chaff before the wind, and let the angel of the LORD chase them.

6 L et their way be through dark and slippery places, with the Angel of the Lord pursuing and afflicting them.

Let their way be dark and slippery, and let the angel of the LORD persecute them.

7 F or without cause they hid for me their net; a pit of destruction without cause they dug for my life.

For without cause they have hid their net for me in a pit, which without cause they have dug for my soul.

8 L et destruction befall unawares; let the net he hid for me catch him; let him fall into that very destruction.

Let destruction come upon him at unawares, and let his net that he has hid catch himself; into that very destruction let him fall.

9 T hen I shall be joyful in the Lord; I shall rejoice in His deliverance.

And my soul shall be joyful in the LORD; it shall rejoice in his saving health.

10 A ll my bones shall say, Lord, who is like You, You Who deliver the poor and the afflicted from him who is too strong for him, yes, the poor and the needy from him who snatches away his goods?

All my bones shall say, LORD, who is like unto thee, who delivers the poor from him that is too strong for him, yea, the poor and the needy from him that spoils him?

11 M alicious and unrighteous witnesses rise up; they ask me of things that I know not.

¶ False witnesses rose up; they laid to my charge things that I knew not.

12 T hey reward me evil for good to my personal bereavement.

They rewarded me evil for good until my soul was alone.

13 B ut as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth; I afflicted myself with fasting, and I prayed with head bowed on my breast.

But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth; I humbled my soul with fasting, and my prayer rose up in my bosom.

14 I behaved as if grieving for my friend or my brother; I bowed down in sorrow, as one who bewails his mother.

I behaved myself as though he had been my friend or brother; I bowed down heavily, as one that mourns for his mother.

15 B ut in my stumbling and limping they rejoiced and gathered together; the smiters (slanderers and revilers) gathered against me, and I knew them not; they ceased not to slander and revile me.

But in my adversity they rejoiced and gathered themselves together; yea, the smiters gathered themselves together against me, and I knew it not; they tore me apart and did not cease:

16 L ike profane mockers at feasts they gnashed at me with their teeth.

With immature hypocritical mockers, they gnashed upon me with their teeth.

17 L ord, how long will You look on ? Rescue my life from their destructions, my dear and only life from the lions!

¶ Lord, how long wilt thou look on? Restore my soul from their destructions, my life from the lions.

18 I will give You thanks in the great assembly; I will praise You among a mighty throng.

I will give thee thanks in the great congregation; I will praise thee among many people.

19 L et not those who are wrongfully my foes rejoice over me; neither let them wink with the eye who hate me without cause.

Let not those that are my enemies wrongfully rejoice over me; neither let those that hate me wink with the eye without a cause.

20 F or they do not speak peace, but they devise deceitful matters against those who are quiet in the land.

For they do not speak peace, but they devise deceitful matters against those that are meek in the land.

21 Y es, they open their mouths wide against me; they say, Aha! Aha! Our eyes have seen it!

Yea, they opened their mouth wide against me and said, Aha, aha, our eye has seen it.

22 Y ou have seen this, O Lord; keep not silence! O Lord, be not far from me!

This thou hast seen, O LORD; do not keep silence; O Lord, do not be far from me.

23 A rouse Yourself, awake to the justice due me, even to my cause, my God and my Lord!

Stir up thyself and awake to my judgment, even unto my cause, my God and my Lord.

24 J udge and vindicate me, O Lord my God, according to Your righteousness (Your rightness and justice); and let not rejoice over me!

Judge me, O LORD my God, according to thy righteousness; and let them not rejoice over me.

25 L et them not say in their hearts, Aha, that is what we wanted! Let them not say, We have swallowed him up and utterly destroyed him.

Let them not say in their hearts, Ah, so would we have it; let them not say, We have swallowed him up.

26 L et them be put to shame and confusion together who rejoice at my calamity! Let them be clothed with shame and dishonor who magnify and exalt themselves over me!

Let them be ashamed and brought to confusion together that rejoice at my hurt; let them be clothed with shame and dishonour that magnify themselves against me.

27 L et those who favor my righteous cause and have pleasure in my uprightness shout for joy and be glad and say continually, Let the Lord be magnified, Who takes pleasure in the prosperity of His servant.

Let them shout for joy and be glad that favour my righteous cause; let them say continually, Let the LORD be magnified, who has pleasure in the peace of his slave.

28 A nd my tongue shall talk of Your righteousness, rightness, and justice, and of Your praise all the day long.

And my tongue shall speak of thy righteousness and of thy praise all the day long.