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¹ Contend, O Lord, with those who ^(a)contend with me;
Fight against those who ^(b)fight against me.
² Take hold of ^[a](c)buckler and shield
And rise up for ^(d)my help.
³ Draw also the spear and ^[b]the battle-axe to meet those who pursue me;
Say to my soul, "I am ^(e)your salvation."
⁴ Let those be ^(f)ashamed and dishonored who seek my ^[c]life;
Let those be ^(g)turned back and humiliated who devise evil against me.
⁵ Let them be ^(h)like chaff before the wind,
With the angel of the Lord driving them on.
⁶ Let their way be dark and ⁽ⁱ⁾slippery,
With the angel of the Lord pursuing them.
⁷ For ^(j)without cause they ^(k)hid their net for me;
Without cause they dug a ^[d]pit for my soul.
⁸ Let ^(l)destruction come upon him unawares,
And ^(m)let the net which he hid catch himself;
Into that very ⁽ⁿ⁾destruction let him fall.

⁹ And my soul shall ^(o)rejoice in the Lord;
It shall ^(p)exult in His salvation.
¹⁰ All my ^(q)bones will say, "Lord, ^(r)who is like You,
Who delivers the afflicted from him ^(s)who is too strong for him,
And ^(t)the afflicted and the needy from him who robs him?"
^11 (u)Malicious witnesses rise up;
They ask me of things that I do not know.
¹² They ^(v)repay me evil for good,
To the bereavement of my soul.
¹³ But as for me, ^(w)when they were sick, my ^(x)clothing was sackcloth;
I ^(y)humbled my soul with fasting,
And my ^(z)prayer kept returning to my bosom.
¹⁴ I went about as though it were my friend or brother;
I ^(aa)bowed down ^[e]mourning, as one who sorrows for a mother.
¹⁵ But ^(ab)at my ^[f]stumbling they rejoiced and gathered themselves together;
The ^[g](ac)smiters whom I did not know gathered together against me,
They ^[h](ad)slandered me without ceasing.
¹⁶ Like godless jesters at a feast,
They ^(ae)gnashed at me with their teeth.

¹⁷ Lord, ^(af)how long will You look on?
Rescue my soul ^(ag)from their ravages,
My ^(ah)only life from the lions.
¹⁸ I will ^(ai)give You thanks in the great congregation;
I will ^(aj)praise You among a mighty throng.
^19 (ak)Do not let those who are wrongfully ^(al)my enemies rejoice over me;
Nor let those ^(am)who hate me without cause ^[i](an)wink maliciously.
²⁰ For they do not speak peace,
But they devise ^(ao)deceitful words against those who are quiet in the land.
²¹ They ^(ap)opened their mouth wide against me;
They said, "^(aq)Aha, aha, our eyes have seen it!"

^22 (ar)You have seen it, O Lord, ^(as)do not keep silent;
O Lord, ^(at)do not be far from me.
^23 (au)Stir up Yourself, and awake to my right
And to my cause, my God and my Lord.
^24 (av)Judge me, O Lord my God, according to Your righteousness,
And ^(aw)do not let them rejoice over me.
²⁵ Do not let them say in their heart, "^(ax)Aha, our desire!"
Do not let them say, "We have ^(ay)swallowed him up!"
²⁶ Let ^(az)those be ashamed and humiliated altogether who rejoice at my distress;
Let those be ^(ba)clothed with shame and dishonor who ^(bb)magnify themselves over me.

²⁷ Let them ^(bc)shout for joy and rejoice, who favor ^(bd)my vindication;
And ^(be)let them say continually, "The Lord be magnified,
Who ^(bf)delights in the prosperity of His servant."
²⁸ And ^(bg)my tongue shall declare Your righteousness
And Your praise all day long.