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

Strive, O Jehovah, 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 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.”

And draw out the spear, and stop against my pursuers: 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 put to shame and confounded that seek after my life; let them be turned backward 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 Jehovah drive away;

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 Jehovah pursue 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 hidden for me their net a pit; 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 unawares, and let his net which he hath hidden catch himself: for destruction let him fall therein.

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

And my soul shall be joyful in Jehovah; 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, Jehovah, who is like unto thee, who deliverest the afflicted from one stronger than he, yea, the afflicted and the needy from him that spoileth him!

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

Unrighteous witnesses rise up; they lay to my charge things which I know not.

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

They reward me evil for good, the bereavement 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 chastened 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 a friend, a brother to me; I bowed down in sadness, as one that mourneth a 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 at my halting they rejoiced, and gathered together: the slanderers gathered themselves together against me, and I knew not; they did tear, and ceased not:

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

With profane jesters for bread, they have gnashed their teeth against me.

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 only one from the young 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 wrongfully mine enemies rejoice over me; let them not wink with the eye that 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 speak not peace; and they devise deceitful words against the quiet in the land.

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

And they opened their mouth wide against me; they said, Aha! aha! our eye hath seen.

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

Thou hast seen, Jehovah: 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 for my right, for my cause, my God and Lord!

24 J udge me, O Lord my God, according to Your righteousness, And do not let them rejoice over me.

Judge me, Jehovah 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 heart, Aha! 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 adversity; 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 exult and rejoice that delight in my righteousness; and let them say continually, Jehovah be magnified, who delighteth 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 thy righteousness, of thy praise, all the day.