1 C ontend, Yahweh, with those who contend with me. Fight against those who fight against me.

O Lord, stand against those who stand against me. Fight those who fight me.

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

Take hold of a safe-covering and rise up to help me.

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

Take a spear and battle-ax against those who come to get me. Say to my soul, “I am the One Who saves you.”

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 the people be ashamed and without honor who want to take my life. Let those be turned away and brought to shame who plan to hurt me.

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

Let them be like straw in the wind. May the angel of the Lord drive them away.

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

Let their way be dark and dangerous, with the angel of the Lord going to get 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 a reason they hid their net for me. Without a reason, they dug a hole 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 them be destroyed before they know it. And let them be caught in their own net. May they destroy themselves as they fall into their own hole.

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

My soul will be happy in the Lord. It will be full of joy because He saves.

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 saves the weak from those too strong for them? Who saves the poor from those who would rob them?”

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

People come telling lies. 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 pay me what is bad in return for what is good. My soul is sad.

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 when they were sick, I put on clothes made from hair. With no pride in my soul, I would not eat. And I prayed with my head on my chest.

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 if it were my friend or brother. I put my head down in sorrow, like one crying for his 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 when I would fall, they would gather together in joy. Those who say things to hurt people would gather against me. I did not know them. They spoke against me without stopping.

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

They ground their teeth at me like bad people making fun of others at a special supper.

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? Save me from being destroyed by them. Save my 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 big meeting. I will praise You among many people.

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 hate me for no reason stand over me with joy. Do not let those who hate me for no reason wink their eye.

20 F or they don’t speak peace, but they devise deceitful words against those who are quiet in the land.

They do not speak peace. But they make up lies 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!”

And they opened their mouth wide against me. They said, “O, O, 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 quiet. O Lord, do not be far from me.

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

Awake Yourself. Come and help me. Fight for me, my God and my Lord.

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

Say what is right or wrong with me, O Lord my God, because You are right and good. Do not let them have joy 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, “O, just what we wanted!” 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 all who are happy because of my trouble be ashamed and without honor. Let those who think they are better than I, be covered with shame and without honor.

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 call out for joy and be glad, who want to see the right thing done for me. Let them always say, “May the Lord be honored. He is pleased when all is going well for His servant.”

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

And my tongue will tell about how right and good You are, and about Your praise all day long.