¹Contend, Lord, with those who contend with me;
fight against those who fight against me.
²Take up shield and armor;
arise and come to my aid.
³Brandish spear and javelin
against those who pursue me.
Say to me,
“I am your salvation.”

⁴May those who seek my life
be disgraced and put to shame;
may those who plot my ruin
be turned back in dismay.
⁵May they be like chaff before the wind,
with the angel of the Lord driving them away;
⁶may their path be dark and slippery,
with the angel of the Lord pursuing them.
⁷Since they hid their net for me without cause
and without cause dug a pit for me,
⁸may ruin overtake them by surprise—
may the net they hid entangle them,
may they fall into the pit, to their ruin.
⁹Then my soul will rejoice in the Lord
and delight in his salvation.
¹⁰My whole being will exclaim,
“Who is like you, Lord?
You rescue the poor from those too strong for them,
the poor and needy from those who rob them.”

¹¹Ruthless witnesses come forward;
they question me on things I know nothing about.
¹²They repay me evil for good
and leave me like one bereaved.
¹³Yet when they were ill, I put on sackcloth
and humbled myself with fasting.
When my prayers returned to me unanswered,
¹⁴I went about mourning
as though for my friend or brother.
I bowed my head in grief
as though weeping for my mother.
¹⁵But when I stumbled, they gathered in glee;
assailants gathered against me without my knowledge.
They slandered me without ceasing.
¹⁶Like the ungodly they maliciously mocked;
they gnashed their teeth at me.
¹⁷How long, Lord, will you look on?
Rescue me from their ravages,
my precious life from these lions.
¹⁸I will give you thanks in the great assembly;
among the throngs I will praise you.
¹⁹Do not let those gloat over me
who are my enemies without cause;
do not let those who hate me without reason
maliciously wink the eye.
²⁰They do not speak peaceably,
but devise false accusations
against those who live quietly in the land.
²¹They sneer at me and say, “Aha! Aha!
With our own eyes we have seen it.”

²² Lord, you have seen this; do not be silent.
Do not be far from me, Lord.
²³Awake, and rise to my defense!
Contend for me, my God and Lord.
²⁴Vindicate me in your righteousness, Lord my God;
do not let them gloat over me.
²⁵Do not let them think, “Aha, just what we wanted!”
or say, “We have swallowed him up.”

²⁶May all who gloat over my distress
be put to shame and confusion;
may all who exalt themselves over me
be clothed with shame and disgrace.
²⁷May those who delight in my vindication
shout for joy and gladness;
may they always say, “The Lord be exalted,
who delights in the well-being of his servant.”

²⁸My tongue will proclaim your righteousness,
your praises all day long.