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¹ Contend, O Lord, with those who ^(a)contend with me;
    ^(b)fight against those who fight against me!
² Take hold of ^(c)shield and buckler
    and rise for my help!
³ Draw the spear and javelin^[a]
    against my pursuers!
Say to my soul,
    "I am your salvation!"

^4 (d)Let them be ^(e)put to shame and dishonor
    who seek after my life!
Let them be ^(f)turned back and disappointed
    who devise evil against me!
⁵ Let them be like ^(g)chaff before the wind,
    with the angel of the Lord driving them away!
⁶ Let their way be dark and ^(h)slippery,
    with the angel of the Lord pursuing them!

⁷ For ⁽ⁱ⁾without cause ^(j)they hid their net for me;
    without cause they dug ^(k)a pit for my life.^[b]
8 Let ^(l)destruction come upon him ^(m)when he does not know it!
And let the net that he hid ensnare him;
    let him fall into it—to his destruction!

⁹ Then my soul will rejoice in the Lord,
    ⁽ⁿ⁾exulting in his salvation.
¹⁰ All my ^(o)bones shall say,
    "O Lord, ^(p)who is like you,
delivering the poor
    from him who is too strong for him,
    the poor and needy from him who robs him?"

^11 (q)Malicious^[c] witnesses rise up;
    they ask me of things that I do not know.
^12 (r)They repay me evil for good;
    my soul is bereft.^[d]
13 But I, ^(s)when they were sick—
    I ^(t)wore sackcloth;
    I ^(u)afflicted myself with fasting;
I prayed ^(v)with head bowed^[e] on my chest.
¹⁴     I went about as though I grieved for my friend or my brother;
as one who laments his mother,
    I ^(w)bowed down in mourning.

¹⁵ But at my stumbling they rejoiced and gathered;
    they gathered together against me;
^(x)wretches whom I did not know
    tore at me without ceasing;
¹⁶ like profane mockers at a feast,^[f]
    they ^(y)gnash at me with their teeth.

¹⁷ How long, O Lord, will you ^(z)look on?
    Rescue me from their destruction,
    ^(aa)my precious life from the lions!
¹⁸ I will thank you in ^(ab)the great congregation;
    in the mighty throng I will praise you.

^19 (ac)Let not those rejoice over me
    who are ^(ad)wrongfully my foes,
and let not those ^(ae)wink the eye
    who ^(af)hate me ^(ag)without cause.
²⁰ For they do not speak peace,
    but against those who are quiet in the land
    they devise words of deceit.
²¹ They ^(ah)open wide their mouths against me;
    they say, ^(ai)"Aha, Aha!
    Our eyes have seen it!"

^22 (aj)You have seen, O Lord; ^(ak)be not silent!
    O Lord, ^(al)be not far from me!
²³ Awake and ^(am)rouse yourself for ^(an)my vindication,
    for my cause, my God and my Lord!
^24 (ao)Vindicate me, O Lord, my God,
    according to your righteousness,
    and ^(ap)let them not rejoice over me!
²⁵ Let them not say in their hearts,
    ^(aq)"Aha, our heart's desire!"
Let them not say, ^(ar)"We have swallowed him up."

²⁶ Let them be ^(as)put to shame and disappointed altogether
    who rejoice at my calamity!
Let them be ^(at)clothed with shame and dishonor
    who ^(au)magnify themselves against me!

²⁷ Let those who delight in my righteousness
    shout for joy and be glad
    ^(av)and say evermore,
^(aw)"Great is the Lord,
    who ^(ax)delights in the welfare of his servant!"
²⁸ Then my ^(ay)tongue shall tell of your righteousness
    and of your praise all the day long.