1 C ontend, Yahweh, 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 shield and buckler, and stand up for my help.

Take hold of buckler and shield And rise up for my help.

3 B randish the spear and block those who pursue me. Tell my soul, “I am your salvation.”

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

4 L et those who seek after my soul be disappointed and brought to dishonor. Let those who plot my ruin be turned back and confounded.

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

5 L et them be as chaff before the wind, Yahweh’s angel driving them on.

Let them be like chaff before the wind, With the angel of the Lord driving them on.

6 L et their way be dark and slippery, Yahweh’s angel pursuing them.

Let their way be dark and slippery, With the angel of the Lord pursuing them.

7 F or without cause they have hidden their net in a pit for me. Without cause they have dug a pit for my soul.

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

8 L et destruction come on him unawares. Let his net that he has hidden catch himself. Let him fall into that destruction.

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

9 M y soul shall be joyful in Yahweh. It shall rejoice in his salvation.

And my soul shall rejoice in the Lord; It shall exult in His salvation.

10 A ll my bones shall say, “Yahweh, who is like you, who delivers the poor from him who is too strong for him; yes, the poor and the needy from him who robs him?”

All 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?”

11 U nrighteous witnesses rise up. They ask me about things that I don’t know about.

Malicious witnesses rise up; They ask me of things that I do not know.

12 T hey reward me evil for good, to the bereaving of my soul.

They repay me evil for good, To the bereavement of my soul.

13 B ut as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth. I afflicted my soul with fasting. My prayer returned into my own bosom.

But 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.

14 I behaved myself as though it had been my friend or my brother. I bowed down mourning, as one who mourns his mother.

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

15 B ut in my adversity, they rejoiced, and gathered themselves together. The attackers gathered themselves together against me, and I didn’t know it. They tore at me, and didn’t cease.

But 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.

16 L ike the profane mockers in feasts, they gnashed their teeth at me.

Like godless jesters at a feast, They gnashed at me with their teeth.

17 L ord, how long will you look on? Rescue my soul from their destruction, my precious life from the lions.

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

18 I will give you thanks in the great assembly. I will praise you among many people.

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

19 D on’t let those who are my enemies wrongfully rejoice over me; neither let those who hate me without a cause wink their eyes.

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

20 F or they don’t 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 words against those who are quiet in the land.

21 Y es, they opened their mouth wide against me. They said, “Aha! Aha! Our eye has seen it!”

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

22 Y ou have seen it, Yahweh. Don’t keep silent. Lord, don’t be far from me.

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

23 W ake up! Rise up to defend me, my God! My Lord, contend for me!

Stir up Yourself, and awake to my right And to my cause, my God and my Lord.

24 V indicate me, Yahweh my God, according to your righteousness. Don’t let them gloat over me.

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

25 D on’t let them say in their heart, “Aha! That’s the way we want it!” Don’t let them say, “We have swallowed him up!”

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

26 L et them be disappointed and confounded together who rejoice at my calamity. Let them be clothed with shame and dishonor who magnify themselves against me.

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

27 L et them shout for joy and be glad, who favor my righteous cause. Yes, let them say continually, “Yahweh be magnified, who has pleasure in the prosperity of his servant!”

Let 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.”

28 M y tongue shall talk about your righteousness and about your praise all day long.

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