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

Contend, O Lord, with those who contend with me; fight against those who 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 my 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 javelin and close up the way of those who pursue and persecute me. Say to me, I am your deliverance!

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 put to shame and dishonor who seek and require my life; let them be turned back and confounded who plan 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, with the Angel of the Lord driving them on!

6 L et their way be dark and slippery, With the angel of the Lord pursuing them.

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

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

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

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

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

Then I shall be joyful in the Lord; I shall rejoice in His deliverance.

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 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?

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

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

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

They reward me evil for good to my personal bereavement.

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 afflicted myself with fasting, and I prayed with head bowed on my breast.

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

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

Like profane mockers at feasts they gnashed at 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 will You look on ? Rescue my life from their destructions, my dear and only life from the lions!

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

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

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 those who are wrongfully my foes rejoice over me; neither let them wink with the eye who hate me without cause.

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

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

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

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

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

You have seen this, 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.

Arouse Yourself, awake to the justice due me, even to 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 and vindicate me, O Lord my God, according to Your righteousness (Your rightness and justice); and let 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, Aha, that is what we wanted! Let them not say, We have swallowed him up and utterly destroyed him.

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 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!

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 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.

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

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