Contend with My Opponents, O LORD 1 DBY A Psalm of David. Strive, O Jehovah, with them that strive with me; fight against them that fight against me:BSB BSB: Of David. Contend with my opponents, O LORD; fight against those who fight against me.
2 DBY Take hold of shield and buckler, and stand up for my help; BSB BSB: Take up Your shield and buckler; arise and come to my aid.
3 DBY And draw out the spear, and stop the way against my pursuers: say unto my soul, I am thy salvation. BSB BSB: Draw the spear and javelin against my pursuers; say to my soul: “I am your salvation.”
4 DBY Let them be put to shame and confounded that seek after my life; let them be turned backward and brought to confusion that devise my hurt: BSB BSB: May those who seek my life be disgraced and put to shame; may those who plan to harm me be driven back and confounded.
5 DBY Let them be as chaff before the wind, and let the angel of Jehovah drive them away; BSB BSB: May they be like chaff in the wind, as the angel of the LORD drives them away.
6 DBY Let their way be dark and slippery, and let the angel of Jehovah pursue them. BSB BSB: May their path be dark and slick, as the angel of the LORD pursues.
7 DBY For without cause have they hidden for me their net in a pit; without cause they have digged it for my soul. BSB BSB: For without cause they laid their net for me; without reason they dug a pit for my soul.
8 DBY Let destruction come upon him unawares, and let his net which he hath hidden catch himself: for destruction let him fall therein. BSB BSB: May ruin befall them by surprise; may the net they hid ensnare them; may they fall into the hazard they created.
9 DBY And my soul shall be joyful in Jehovah; it shall rejoice in his salvation. BSB BSB: Then my soul will rejoice in the LORD and exult in His salvation.
10 DBY All my bones shall say, Jehovah, who is like unto thee, who deliverest the afflicted from one stronger than he, yea, the afflicted and the needy from him that spoileth him! BSB BSB: All my bones will exclaim, “Who is like You, O LORD, who delivers the afflicted from the aggressor, the poor and needy from the robber?”
11 DBY Unrighteous witnesses rise up; they lay to my charge things which I know not. BSB BSB: Hostile witnesses come forward; they make charges I know nothing about.
12 DBY They reward me evil for good, to the bereavement of my soul. BSB BSB: They repay me evil for good, to the bereavement of my soul.
13 DBY But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth; I chastened my soul with fasting, and my prayer returned into mine own bosom: BSB BSB: Yet when they were ill, I put on sackcloth; I humbled myself with fasting, but my prayers returned unanswered.
14 DBY I behaved myself as though he had been a friend, a brother to me; I bowed down in sadness, as one that mourneth for a mother. BSB BSB: I paced about as for my friend or brother; I was bowed down with grief, like one mourning for his mother.
15 DBY But at my halting they rejoiced, and gathered together: the slanderers gathered themselves together against me, and I knew it not; they did tear me , and ceased not: BSB BSB: But when I stumbled, they assembled in glee; they gathered together against me. Assailants I did not know slandered me without ceasing.
16 DBY With profane jesters for bread, they have gnashed their teeth against me. BSB BSB: Like godless jesters at a feast, they gnashed their teeth at me.
17 DBY Lord, how long wilt thou look on? Rescue my soul from their destructions, my only one from the young lions. BSB BSB: How long, O Lord, will You look on? Rescue my soul from their ravages, my precious life from these lions.
18 DBY I will give thee thanks in the great congregation; I will praise thee among much people. BSB BSB: Then I will give You thanks in the great assembly; I will praise You among many people.
19 DBY Let not them that are wrongfully mine enemies rejoice over me; let them not wink with the eye that hate me without cause. BSB BSB: Let not my enemies gloat over me without cause, nor those who hate me without reason wink in malice.
20 DBY For they speak not peace; and they devise deceitful words against the quiet in the land. BSB BSB: For they do not speak peace, but they devise deceitful schemes against those who live quietly in the land.
21 DBY And they opened their mouth wide against me; they said, Aha! aha! our eye hath seen it . BSB BSB: They gape at me and say, “Aha, aha! Our eyes have seen!”
22 DBY Thou hast seen it , Jehovah: keep not silence; O Lord, be not far from me. BSB BSB: O LORD, You have seen it; be not silent. O Lord, be not far from me.
23 DBY Stir up thyself, and awake for my right, for my cause, my God and Lord! BSB BSB: Awake and rise to my defense, to my cause, my God and my Lord!
24 DBY Judge me, Jehovah my God, according to thy righteousness, and let them not rejoice over me. BSB BSB: Vindicate me by Your righteousness, O LORD my God, and do not let them gloat over me.
25 DBY Let them not say in their heart, Aha! so would we have it. Let them not say, We have swallowed him up. BSB BSB: Let them not say in their hearts, “Aha, just what we wanted!” Let them not say, “We have swallowed him up!”
26 DBY Let them be ashamed and brought to confusion together that rejoice at mine adversity; let them be clothed with shame and dishonour that magnify themselves against me. BSB BSB: May those who gloat in my distress be ashamed and confounded; may those who exalt themselves over me be clothed in shame and reproach.
27 DBY Let them exult and rejoice that delight in my righteousness; and let them say continually, Jehovah be magnified, who delighteth in the prosperity of his servant. BSB BSB: May those who favor my vindication shout for joy and gladness; may they always say, “Exalted be the LORD who delights in His servant’s well-being.”
28 DBY And my tongue shall talk of thy righteousness, and of thy praise, all the day. BSB BSB: Then my tongue will proclaim Your righteousness and Your praises all day long.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.