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

Plead my cause, O Lord, with them that strive with me: fight against them that fight against me.

2 T ake hold of buckler and shield And rise up for my help.

Take hold of shield and buckler, and stand up for mine help.

3 D raw also the spear and the battle-axe to meet those who pursue me; Say to my soul, “I am your salvation.”

Draw out also the spear, and stop the way against them that persecute me: say unto my soul, I am thy salvation.

4 L et those be ashamed and dishonored who seek my life; Let those be turned back and humiliated who devise evil against me.

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 like 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 dark and slippery, With the angel of the Lord pursuing them.

Let their way be dark and slippery: and let the angel of the Lord persecute them.

7 F or without cause they hid their net for me; Without cause they dug a pit for my soul.

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

8 L et destruction come upon him unawares, And let the net which he hid catch himself; Into that very destruction let him fall.

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

9 A nd my soul shall rejoice in the Lord; It shall exult in His salvation.

And my soul shall be joyful in the Lord: it shall rejoice in his salvation.

10 A ll my bones will say, “ Lord, who is like You, Who delivers the afflicted from him who is too strong for him, And the afflicted and the needy from him who robs him?”

All my bones shall say, Lord, who is like unto thee, which deliverest the poor from him that is too strong for him, yea, the poor and the needy from him that spoileth him?

11 M alicious witnesses rise up; They ask me of things that I do not know.

False witnesses did rise up; they laid to my charge things that I knew not.

12 T hey repay me evil for good, To the bereavement of my soul.

They rewarded me evil for good to the spoiling of my soul.

13 B ut as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth; I humbled my soul with fasting, And my prayer kept returning to my bosom.

But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth: I humbled my soul with fasting; and my prayer returned into mine own bosom.

14 I went about as though it were my friend or brother; I bowed down mourning, as one who sorrows for a mother.

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

15 B ut at my stumbling they rejoiced and gathered themselves together; The smiters whom I did not know gathered together against me, They slandered me without ceasing.

But in mine adversity they rejoiced, and gathered themselves together: yea, the abjects gathered themselves together against me, and I knew it not; they did tear me, and ceased not:

16 L ike godless jesters at a feast, They gnashed at me with their teeth.

with hypocritical mockers in feasts, they gnashed upon me with their teeth.

17 L ord, how long will You look on? Rescue my soul from their ravages, My only life from the lions.

Lord, how long wilt thou look on? rescue my soul from their destructions, my darling from the lions.

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

I will give thee thanks in the great congregation: I will praise thee among much people.

19 D o not let those who are wrongfully my enemies rejoice over me; Nor let those who hate me without cause wink maliciously.

Let not them that are mine enemies wrongfully rejoice over me: neither let them wink with the eye that hate me without a cause.

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

For they speak not peace: but they devise deceitful matters against them that are quiet in the land.

21 T hey opened their mouth wide against me; They said, “ Aha, aha, our eyes have seen it!”

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

22 Y ou have seen it, O Lord, do not keep silent; O Lord, do not be far from me.

This thou hast seen, O Lord: keep not silence: O Lord, be not far from me.

23 S tir up Yourself, and awake to my right And 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 me, O Lord my God, according to Your righteousness, And do not let them rejoice over me.

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

25 D o not let them say in their heart, “ Aha, our desire!” Do not let them say, “We have swallowed him up!”

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 those be ashamed and humiliated altogether who rejoice at my distress; Let those be clothed with shame and dishonor who magnify themselves over me.

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

27 L et them shout for joy and rejoice, who favor my vindication; And let them say continually, “The Lord be magnified, Who delights in the prosperity of His servant.”

Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the Lord be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.

28 A nd my tongue shall declare Your righteousness And Your praise all day long.

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