New International Version NIV
The Darby Translation DBY
1 Contend, LORD, with those who contend with me; fight against those who fight against me.
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{[A Psalm] of David.} Strive, O Jehovah, with them that strive with me; fight against them that fight against me:
2 Take up shield and armor; arise and come to my aid.
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Take hold of shield and buckler, and stand up for my help;
3 Brandish spear and javelinagainst those who pursue me. Say to me, “I am your salvation.”
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And draw out the spear, and stop [the way] against my pursuers: say unto my soul, I am thy salvation.
4 May those who seek my life be disgraced and put to shame; may those who plot my ruin be turned back in dismay.
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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:
5 May they be like chaff before the wind, with the angel of the LORD driving them away;
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Let them be as chaff before the wind, and let the angel of Jehovah drive [them] away;
6 may their path be dark and slippery, with the angel of the LORD pursuing them.
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Let their way be dark and slippery, and let the angel of Jehovah pursue them.
7 Since they hid their net for me without cause and without cause dug a pit for me,
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For without cause have they hidden for me their net [in] a pit; without cause they have digged [it] for my soul.
8 may ruin overtake them by surprise— may the net they hid entangle them, may they fall into the pit, to their ruin.
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Let destruction come upon him unawares, and let his net which he hath hidden catch himself: for destruction let him fall therein.
9 Then my soul will rejoice in the LORDand delight in his salvation.
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And my soul shall be joyful in Jehovah; it shall rejoice in his salvation.
10 My 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.”
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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!
11 Ruthless witnesses come forward; they question me on things I know nothing about.
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Unrighteous witnesses rise up; they lay to my charge things which I know not.
12 They repay me evil for good and leave me like one bereaved.
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They reward me evil for good, [to] the bereavement of my soul.
13 Yet when they were ill, I put on sackcloth and humbled myself with fasting. When my prayers returned to me unanswered,
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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:
14 I went about mourning as though for my friend or brother. I bowed my head in grief as though weeping for my mother.
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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.
15 But when I stumbled, they gathered in glee; assailants gathered against me without my knowledge. They slandered me without ceasing.
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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:
16 Like the ungodly they maliciously mocked;they gnashed their teeth at me.
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With profane jesters for bread, they have gnashed their teeth against me.
17 How long, Lord, will you look on? Rescue me from their ravages, my precious life from these lions.
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Lord, how long wilt thou look on? Rescue my soul from their destructions, my only one from the young lions.
18 I will give you thanks in the great assembly; among the throngs I will praise you.
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I will give thee thanks in the great congregation; I will praise thee among much people.
19 Do 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.
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Let not them that are wrongfully mine enemies rejoice over me; let them not wink with the eye that hate me without cause.
20 They do not speak peaceably, but devise false accusations against those who live quietly in the land.
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For they speak not peace; and they devise deceitful words against the quiet in the land.
21 They sneer at me and say, “Aha! Aha! With our own eyes we have seen it.”
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And they opened their mouth wide against me; they said, Aha! aha! our eye hath seen [it].
22 LORD, you have seen this; do not be silent. Do not be far from me, Lord.
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Thou hast seen [it], Jehovah: keep not silence; O Lord, be not far from me.
23 Awake, and rise to my defense! Contend for me, my God and Lord.
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Stir up thyself, and awake for my right, for my cause, my God and Lord!
24 Vindicate me in your righteousness, LORD my God; do not let them gloat over me.
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Judge me, Jehovah my God, according to thy righteousness, and let them not rejoice over me.
25 Do not let them think, “Aha, just what we wanted!” or say, “We have swallowed him up.”
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Let them not say in their heart, Aha! so would we have it. Let them not say, We have swallowed him up.
26 May 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.
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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.
27 May 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.”
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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.
28 My tongue will proclaim your righteousness, your praises all day long.
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And my tongue shall talk of thy righteousness, [and] of thy praise, all the day.
Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide.
The Darby Translation is in the public domain.