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Prayer for Rescue from Enemies.

¹ Contend, O LORD, with those who ^(C1)contend with me;
Fight against those who ^(C2)fight against me.

² Take hold of shield and ^(C1)buckler (^(F1)small shield),
And stand up for ^(C2)my help.

³ Draw also the spear and javelin to meet those who pursue me.
Say to my soul, "I am ^(C1)your salvation."

⁴ Let those ^(C1)be ashamed and dishonored who seek my life;
Let those be ^(C2)turned back in defeat and humiliated who plot evil against me.

⁵ Let them be blown away like ^(C1)chaff before the wind worthless, without substance,
With the angel of the LORD driving them on.

⁶ Let their way be dark and ^(C1)slippery,
With the angel of the LORD pursuing and harassing them.

⁷ For ^(C1)without cause they ^(C2)hid their net for me;
Without cause they dug a pit of destruction for my life.

⁸ Let ^(C1)destruction come upon my enemy by surprise;
^(C2)Let the net he hid for me catch him;
Into that very ^(C3)destruction let him fall.

⁹ Then my soul shall ^(C1)rejoice in the LORD;
It shall ^(C2)rejoice in His salvation.

¹⁰ All my ^(C1)bones will say, "LORD, ^(C2)who is like You,
Who rescues the afflicted from him ^(C3)who is too strong for him to resist alone,
And ^(C4)the afflicted and the needy from him who robs him?"

^11 (C1)Malicious witnesses rise up;
They ask me of things that I do not know.

¹² They ^(C1)repay me evil for good,
To the sorrow of my soul.

¹³ But as for me, ^(C1)when they were sick, my ^(C2)clothing was sackcloth (mourning garment);
I ^(C3)humbled my soul with fasting,
And I ^(C4)prayed with my head bowed on my chest.

¹⁴ I behaved as if grieving for my friend or my brother;
I ^(C1)bowed down in mourning, as one who sorrows for his mother.

¹⁵ But ^(C1)in my stumbling they rejoiced and gathered together against me;
The ^(C2)slanderers whom I did not know gathered against me;
They ^(C3)slandered and reviled me without ceasing.

¹⁶ Like godless jesters at a feast,
They ^(C1)gnashed at me with their teeth in malice.

¹⁷ LORD, ^(C1)how long will You look on without action?
Rescue my life ^(C2)from their destructions,
My ^(C3)only life from the young lions.

¹⁸ I will ^(C1)give You thanks in the great congregation;
I will ^(C2)praise You among a mighty people.

^19 (C1)Do not let those who are wrongfully ^(C2)my enemies rejoice over me;
Nor let those ^(C3)who hate me without cause ^(C4)wink their eye maliciously. ^(VR1)

²⁰ For they do not speak peace,
But they ^(C1)devise deceitful words half-truths and lies against those who are quiet in the land.

²¹ They ^(C1)open their mouths wide against me;
They say, "^(C2)Aha, aha, our eyes have seen it!"

^22 (C1)You have seen this, O LORD; ^(C2)do not keep silent.
O Lord, ^(C3)do not be far from me.

^23 (C1)Wake Yourself up, and arise to my right
And to my cause, my God and my Lord.

^24 (C1)Judge me, O LORD my God, according to Your righteousness and justice;
^(C2)And do not let them rejoice over me.

²⁵ Do not let them say in their heart, "^(C1)Aha, that is what we wanted!"
Do not let them say, "^(C2)We have swallowed him up and destroyed him."

²⁶ Let ^(C1)those be ashamed and humiliated together who rejoice at my distress;
Let those be ^(C2)clothed with shame and dishonor who ^(C3)magnify themselves over me.

²⁷ Let them ^(C1)shout for joy and rejoice, who favor my ^(C2)vindication and want what is right for me;
^(C3)Let them say continually, "Let the LORD be magnified, who ^(C4)delights and takes pleasure in the prosperity of His servant."

²⁸ And ^(C1)my tongue shall declare Your righteousness (justice),
And Your praise all the day long.