New Revised Standard NRS
The Bible in Basic English BBE
1 Contend, O Lord, with those who contend with me; fight against those who fight against me!
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<Of David.> O Lord, be on my side against those who are judging me; be at war with those who make war against me.
2 Take hold of shield and buckler, and rise up to help me!
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Be a breastplate to me, and give me your help.
3 Draw the spear and javelin against my pursuers; say to my soul, "I am your salvation."
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Take up your spear and keep back my attackers; say to my soul, I am your salvation.
4 Let them be put to shame and dishonor who seek after my life. Let them be turned back and confounded who devise evil against me.
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Let them be overcome and put to shame who make attempts to take my soul; let those who would do me damage be turned back and made foolish.
5 Let them be like chaff before the wind, with the angel of the Lord driving them on.
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Let them be like dust from the grain before the wind; let the angel of the Lord send them in flight.
6 Let their way be dark and slippery, with the angel of the Lord pursuing them.
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Let their way be dark and full of danger; let them be troubled by the angel of the Lord.
7 For without cause they hid their net for me; without cause they dug a pit for my life.
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For without cause they have put a net ready for me secretly, in which to take my soul.
8 Let ruin come on them unawares. And let the net that they hid ensnare them; let them fall in it—to their ruin.
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Let destruction come on them without their knowledge; let them be taken themselves in their secret nets, falling into the same destruction.
9 Then my soul shall rejoice in the Lord, exulting in his deliverance.
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And my soul will have joy in the Lord; it will be glad in his salvation.
10 All my bones shall say, "O Lord, who is like you? You deliver the weak from those too strong for them, the weak and needy from those who despoil them."
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All my bones will say, Lord, who is like you? The saviour of the poor man from the hands of the strong, of him who is poor and in need from him who takes his goods.
11 Malicious witnesses rise up; they ask me about things I do not know.
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False witnesses got up: they put questions to me about crimes of which I had no knowledge.
12 They repay me evil for good; my soul is forlorn.
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They gave me back evil for good, troubling my soul.
13 But as for me, when they were sick, I wore sackcloth; I afflicted myself with fasting. I prayed with head bowed on my bosom,
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But as for me, when they were ill I put on the clothing of sorrow: I went without food and was sad, and my prayer came back again to my heart.
14 as though I grieved for a friend or a brother; I went about as one who laments for a mother, bowed down and in mourning.
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My behaviour was as if it had been my friend or my brother: I was bent low in grief like one whose mother is dead.
15 But at my stumbling they gathered in glee, they gathered together against me; ruffians whom I did not know tore at me without ceasing;
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But they took pleasure in my trouble, and came together, yes, low persons came together against me without my knowledge; they never came to an end of wounding me.
16 they impiously mocked more and more, gnashing at me with their teeth.
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Like men of deceit they put me to shame; the voice of their wrath was loud against me.
17 How long, O Lord, will you look on? Rescue me from their ravages, my life from the lions!
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Lord, how long will you be looking on? take my soul from their destruction, my life from the lions.
18 Then I will thank you in the great congregation; in the mighty throng I will praise you.
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I will give you praise in the great meeting; I will give you honour among a strong people.
19 Do not let my treacherous enemies rejoice over me, or those who hate me without cause wink the eye.
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Do not let my haters be glad over me falsely; let not those who are against me without cause make sport of me.
20 For they do not speak peace, but they conceive deceitful words against those who are quiet in the land.
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For they do not say words of peace; in their deceit they are designing evil things against the quiet ones in the land.
21 They open wide their mouths against me; they say, "Aha, Aha, our eyes have seen it."
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Their mouths were open wide against me, and they said, Aha, aha, our eyes have seen it.
22 You have seen, O Lord; do not be silent! O Lord, do not be far from me!
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You have seen this, O Lord; be not unmoved: O Lord, be not far from me.
23 Wake up! Bestir yourself for my defense, for my cause, my God and my Lord!
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Be awake, O Lord, be moved to take up my cause, my God and my Lord.
24 Vindicate me, O Lord, my God, according to your righteousness, and do not let them rejoice over me.
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Be my judge, O Lord my God, in your righteousness; do not let them be glad over me.
25 Do not let them say to themselves, "Aha, we have our heart's desire." Do not let them say, "We have swallowed you up."
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Let them not say in their hearts, So we will have it: let them not say, We have put an end to him.
26 Let all those who rejoice at my calamity be put to shame and confusion; let those who exalt themselves against me be clothed with shame and dishonor.
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Let all those who take pleasure in my troubles be shamed and come to nothing: let those who are lifted up against me be covered with shame and have no honour.
27 Let those who desire my vindication shout for joy and be glad, and say evermore, "Great is the Lord, who delights in the welfare of his servant."
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Let those who are on my side give cries of joy; let them ever say, The Lord be praised, for he has pleasure in the peace of his servant.
28 Then my tongue shall tell of your righteousness and of your praise all day long.
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And my tongue will be talking of your righteousness and of your praise all the day.
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.