1 A Psalme of Dauid. Pleade thou my cause, O Lord, with them that striue with me: fight thou against them, that fight against me. 2 Lay hand vpon the shielde and buckler, and stand vp for mine helpe. 3 Bring out also the speare and stop the way against them, that persecute me: say vnto my soule, I am thy saluation. 4 Let them be confounded and put to shame, that seeke after my soule: let them be turned backe, and brought to confusion, that imagine mine hurt. 5 Let them be as chaffe before the winde, and let the Angel of the Lord scatter them. 6 Let their way be darke and slipperie: and let the Angel of the Lord persecute them. 7 For without cause they haue hid the pit and their net for me: without cause haue they digged a pit for my soule. 8 Let destruction come vpon him at vnwares, and let his net, that he hath laid priuilie, take him: let him fall into the same destruction. 9 Then my soule shalbe ioyfull in the Lord: it shall reioyce in his saluation. 10 All my bones shall say, Lord, who is like vnto thee, which deliuerest the poore from him, that is too strong for him! yea, the poore and him that is in miserie, from him that spoyleth him! 11 Cruell witnesses did rise vp: they asked of me things that I knewe not. 12 They rewarded me euill for good, to haue spoyled my soule. 13 Yet I, when they were sicke, I was clothed with a sacke: I humbled my soule with fasting: and my praier was turned vpon my bosome. 14 I behaued my selfe as to my friend, or as to my brother: I humbled my selfe, mourning as one that bewaileth his mother. 15 But in mine aduersitie they reioyced, and gathered them selues together: the abiects assembled themselues against me, and knewe not: they tare me and ceased not, 16 With the false skoffers at bankets, gnashing their teeth against me. 17 Lord, how long wilt thou beholde this? deliuer my soule from their tumult, euen my desolate soule from the lions. 18 So will I giue thee thankes in a great Congregation: I will praise thee among much people. 19 Let not them that are mine enemies, vniustly reioyce ouer mee, neyther let them winke with the eye, that hate mee without a cause. 20 For they speake not as friendes: but they imagine deceitfull woordes against the quiet of the lande. 21 And they gaped on mee with their mouthes, saying, Aha, aha, our eye hath seene. 22 Thou hast seene it, O Lord: keepe not silence: be not farre from me, O Lord. 23 Arise and wake to my iudgement, euen to my cause, my God, and my Lord. 24 Iudge me, O Lord my God, according to thy righteousnesse, and let them not reioyce ouer mee. 25 Let them not say in their hearts, O our soule reioyce: neither let them say, We haue deuoured him. 26 Let them bee confounded, and put to shame together, that reioyce at mine hurt: let them bee clothed with confusion and shame, that lift vp themselues against me. 27 But let them be ioyful and glad, that loue my righteousnesse: yea, let them say alway, Let the Lord be magnified, which loueth the prosperitie of his seruant. 28 And my tongue shall vtter thy righteousnesse, and thy praise euery day.
A Prayer for Help
1 Oppose those who oppose me, Lord,
and fight those who fight against me!
2 Take your shield and armor
and come to my rescue.
3 Lift up your spear and war ax
against those who pursue me.
Promise that you will save me.
4 May those who try to kill me
be defeated and disgraced!
May those who plot against me
be turned back and confused!
5 May they be like straw blown by the wind
as the angel of the Lord pursues them!
6 May their path be dark and slippery
while the angel of the Lord strikes them down!
7 Without any reason they laid a trap for me
and dug a deep hole to catch me.
8 But destruction will catch them before they know it;
they will be caught in their own trap
and fall to their destruction!
9 Then I will be glad because of the Lord;
I will be happy because he saved me.
10 With all my heart I will say to the Lord,
“There is no one like you.
You protect the weak from the strong,
the poor from the oppressor.”
11 Evil people testify against me
and accuse me of crimes I know nothing about.
12 They pay me back evil for good,
and I sink in despair.
13 But when they were sick, I dressed in mourning;
I deprived myself of food;
I prayed with my head bowed low,
14 as I would pray for a friend or a brother.
I went around bent over in mourning,
as one who mourns for his mother.
15 But when I was in trouble, they were all glad
and gathered around to make fun of me;
strangers beat me
and kept striking me.
16 Like those who would mock a cripple,
they glared at me with hate.
17 How much longer, Lord, will you just look on?
Rescue me from their attacks;
save my life from these lions!
18 Then I will thank you in the assembly of your people;
I will praise you before them all.
19 Don't let my enemies, those liars,
gloat over my defeat.
Don't let those who hate me for no reason
smirk with delight over my sorrow.
20 They do not speak in a friendly way;
instead they invent all kinds of lies about peace-loving people.
21 They accuse me, shouting,
“We saw what you did!”
22 But you, O Lord, have seen this.
So don't be silent, Lord;
don't keep yourself far away!
23 Rouse yourself, O Lord, and defend me;
rise up, my God, and plead my cause.
24 You are righteous, O Lord, so declare me innocent;
don't let my enemies gloat over me.
25 Don't let them say to themselves,
“We are rid of him!
That's just what we wanted!”
26 May those who gloat over my suffering
be completely defeated and confused;
may those who claim to be better than I am
be covered with shame and disgrace.
27 May those who want to see me acquitted
shout for joy and say again and again,
“How great is the Lord!
He is pleased with the success of his servant.”
28 Then I will proclaim your righteousness,
and I will praise you all day long.