Contend with My Opponents, O LORD

1To David. Contend, O Jehovah, with them contending with me: fight with those fighting with me.

2Take hold of the shield and the buckler, and stand up for my help.

3Draw out the spear, and shut up to the meeting of them pursuing me: say to my soul, I am thy salvation.

4They seeking my soul shall be ashamed and disgraced: they shall be drawn back and be ashamed purposing my evil.

5They shall be as chaff before the wind: and the messenger of Jehovah overthrowing.

6Their way shall be darkness and slippery places, and the messenger of Jehovah pursuing them.

7For gratuitously they hid for me the destruction of their net: gratuitously they dug for my soul.

8Desolation shall come to him not knowing, and his net which he hid shall take him: in destruction he shall fall in it.

9And my soul shall rejoice in Jehovah: it shall be glad in his salvation.

10All my bones shall say, O Jehovah, who as thee, delivering the poor from him strong above him, and the poor and the needy from him stripping him?

11Witnesses of wrong will rise up; they will ask me what I knew not.

12They will requite me evil instead of good, bereaving to my soul.

13And I, in their being sick, my clothing sackcloth: I humbled my soul in fasting, and my prayer shall be turned back upon my bosom.

14As a friend, as a brother to me: I went about as mourning a mother: being darkened, I bowed down.

15And in my halting they rejoiced, and they were gathered together: they smiting were gathered together against me, and I knew not; they rent asunder and ceased not:

16With profane mocking parasites, gnashing their teeth against me.

17O Jehovah, how long wilt thou see? Turn back my soul from their destruction, my only one from the lions.

18I will praise thee in the great convocation: I will celebrate thee among a strong people.

19Mine enemies shall not rejoice over me for falsehood: they hating me gratuitously shall pinch the eye.

20For they will not speak peace: and against the quiet of the land they will purpose words of deceits.

21They will widen their mouth upon me: they said, Aha! aha our eye saw it.

22Thou sawest, O Jehovah: thou wilt not be silent: O Jehovah, thou wilt not remove far off from me.

23Rouse up and awake to judgment, my God and my Lord, for my contention.

24Judge me according to thy justice, O Jehovah my God, and they shall not rejoice over me.

25They shall not say in their heart, Aha! our soul. They shall not say, We swallowed him down.

26They shall be ashamed and they shall blush together, rejoicing for my evil: they shall be clothed with shame and reproach, magnifying against me.

27Those delighting in my justice shall rejoice and be glad: they shall say always, Jehovah shall be magnified: he delighted in the peace of his servant.

28My tongue shall speak of thy justice, thy praise all the day.