1Contend, O LORD, with them who contend with me; fight against them who fight against me. 2Take Your shield and buckler, and rise to my aid. 3Raise Your spear, and block the path of them who persecute me. Say to my soul, “I am Your salvation”. 4Let them who seek my life be confounded and humiliated; and drive back and confuse them who plot my harm. 5Blow them like chaff before the wind; as the Angel of the LORD drives them away. 6Let their way be dark and slippery; with the Angel of the LORD pursuing them. 7For they set traps for me; they dig a deep pit for my soul without reason. 8May destruction take them by surprise; let them fall into their own carefully hidden pit. 9Then my soul shall rejoice in the LORD; and in His salvation. 10Every bone in my body shall exclaim, “LORD, who is like You, Who rescues the helpless from the strong aggressor, yea, the poor and the needy from their oppressor?”

11Hostile witnesses come forward and accuse me of things I know nothing about. 12They repay me evil for good, to the bereavement of my soul. 13And yet, when they were sick, I grieved for them, with fasting and prayer; but those prayers returned unanswered. 14I truly felt sorry, as though they were my friend or brother; I grieved, as one who mourns for his mother. 15But when I had trouble, they came together and rejoiced; yea, these godless assembled against me, even those I did not know slandered and reviled me, without ceasing: 16Like profane and hypocritical jesters at banquets, they mocked me with malice. 17LORD, how long will You look on? Rescue my soul from these lions, from their destructive assaults, my only One. 18I will give You thanks in the great congregation; I will praise You among many people.

19Do not let my enemies gloat over my adversity; nor let them maliciously wink with their eye at me without a cause. 20For they do not speak peaceably, but they plot devious schemes against the peaceful in the land. 21Yea, they sneer at me, and say, “Aha, aha, with our own eye saw him do it”. 22You have seen this, O LORD; do not remain silent. O LORD, do not remain aloof from me. 23Stir up Yourself, Rise up to my defense, my God and my LORD. 24Judge me, O LORD my God, according to Your righteousness; and do not let them rejoice over me. 25Let Do not let them think, “Ah, now we have him”; nor let them say, “We have devoured him”. 26Let those who gloat over my misfortune be disappointed / humiliated and brought to confusion; let them who magnify themselves against me be covered with shame. 27Let them who favor my righteous cause shout for joy, and be glad, Yea, let them continually say, “Let the LORD be magnified, Who takes delight in the prosperity of His servant”. 28And my tongue shall proclaim Your righteousness and Your praise all the day long.

A Psalm of David the servant of the LORD.