| International Standard Version | NET Bible |
| 1Argue my case, LORD, against those who argue against me. Fight against those who fight against me. | 1By David. O LORD, fight those who fight with me! Attack those who attack me! |
| 2Take up the buckler and the shield, and rise up to help me. | 2Grab your small shield and large shield, and rise up to help me! |
| 3Take out the spear and the ax to confront the one who pursues me; say to me, "I am your deliverer!" | 3Use your spear and lance against those who chase me! Assure me with these words: "I am your deliverer!" |
| 4Let those who seek my life be ashamed and disgraced; let those who plot evil against me be driven back and confounded. | 4May those who seek my life be embarrassed and humiliated! May those who plan to harm me be turned back and ashamed! |
| 5Make them like the chaff before the wind, as the messenger of the LORD pushes them aside. | 5May they be like wind-driven chaff, as the LORD's angel attacks them! |
| 6May their path be dark and slippery, as the messenger of the LORD tracks them down. | 6May their path be dark and slippery, as the LORD's angel chases them! |
| 7Without justification they laid a snare for me; without justification they dug a pit to trap me. | 7I did not harm them, but they hid a net to catch me and dug a pit to trap me. |
| 8Let destruction come upon them unawares, and let the net that he hid catch him; let him fall into destruction. | 8Let destruction take them by surprise! Let the net they hid catch them! Let them fall into destruction! |
| 9My soul will rejoice in the LORD and be glad in his deliverance. | 9Then I will rejoice in the LORD and be happy because of his deliverance. |
| 10All my bones will say, "LORD, who is like you? Who delivers the weak from the one who is stronger than he, and the weak and the needy from the one who wants to rob him?" | 10With all my strength I will say, "O LORD, who can compare to you? You rescue the oppressed from those who try to overpower them; the oppressed and needy from those who try to rob them." |
| 11False witnesses stepped forward and questioned me concerning things about which I knew nothing. | 11Violent men perjure themselves, and falsely accuse me. |
| 12They paid me back evil for good; my soul mourns. | 12They repay me evil for the good I have done; I am overwhelmed with sorrow. |
| 13But when they were sick, I wore sackcloth, humbled myself with fasting, and prayed from my heart repeatedly for them. | 13When they were sick, I wore sackcloth, and refrained from eating food. (If I am lying, may my prayers go unanswered!) |
| 14I paced about as for my friend or my brother, and fell down mourning as one weeps for one's mother. | 14I mourned for them as I would for a friend or my brother. I bowed down in sorrow as if I were mourning for my mother. |
| 15But when I stumbled, they rejoiced and gathered together. They gathered together against me— attackers whom I did not know. They tore me apart and would not stop. | 15But when I stumbled, they rejoiced and gathered together; they gathered together to ambush me. They tore at me without stopping to rest. |
| 16Malicious mockers — they gnashed their teeth against me. | 16When I tripped, they taunted me relentlessly, and tried to bite me. |
| 17Lord, how long will you just watch? Rescue me from their destruction, my precious life from these young lions. | 17O Lord, how long are you going to just stand there and watch this? Rescue me from their destructive attacks; guard my life from the young lions! |
| 18Then I will give you thanks in front of the great congregation; in the midst of the mighty throng I will praise you. | 18Then I will give you thanks in the great assembly; I will praise you before a large crowd of people! |
| 19Do not let my deceitful enemies gloat over me, nor let those who hate me without justification mock me with their eyes. | 19Do not let those who are my enemies for no reason gloat over me! Do not let those who hate me without cause carry out their wicked schemes! |
| 20For they do not speak peace; they devise clever lies against the peaceful people of the land. | 20For they do not try to make peace with others, but plan ways to deceive those who are unsuspecting. |
| 21They open their mouth wide against me, claiming, "Yes! Yes! We saw him do it with our own eyes!" | 21They are ready to devour me; they say, "Aha! Aha! We've got you!" |
| 22You see this, LORD, so do not be silent. Lord, do not be far from me! | 22But you take notice, LORD! O Lord, do not remain far away from me! |
| 23Wake up! Arouse yourself to vindicate me and argue my case, my God and my Lord. | 23Rouse yourself, wake up and vindicate me! My God and Lord, defend my just cause! |
| 24Judge me according to your righteousness, LORD my God! But do not let them gloat over me. | 24Vindicate me by your justice, O LORD my God! Do not let them gloat over me! |
| 25Don't let them say in their hearts, "Yes! We got what we wanted." Don't let them say, "We have swallowed him up." | 25Do not let them say to themselves, "Aha! We have what we wanted!" Do not let them say, "We have devoured him!" |
| 26Instead, let those who gloat over the evil directed against me be ashamed and confounded together; Let those who exalt themselves over me be clothed with shame and dishonor. | 26May those who want to harm me be totally embarrassed and ashamed! May those who arrogantly taunt me be covered with shame and humiliation! |
| 27Let those who delight in my vindication shout for joy and rejoice! Let them continuously say, "Magnify the LORD, who delights in giving peace to his servant." | 27May those who desire my vindication shout for joy and rejoice! May they continually say, "May the LORD be praised, for he wants his servant to be secure." |
| 28My tongue will declare your righteousness and praise you all day long. | 28Then I will tell others about your justice, and praise you all day long. |
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