1

לְדָוִד רִיבָה יְהֹוָה אֶת־יְרִיבַי לְחַם אֶת־לֹחֲמָי׃

Of David. O ETERNAL One, strive with my adversaries, give battle to my foes,

2

הַחֲזֵק מָגֵן וְצִנָּה וְקוּמָה בְּעֶזְרָתִי׃

take up shield and buckler, and come to my defense;

3

וְהָרֵק חֲנִית וּסְגֹר לִקְרַאת רֹדְפָי אֱמֹר לְנַפְשִׁי יְשֻׁעָתֵךְ אָנִי׃

ready the spear and javelin against my pursuers; tell me, “I am your deliverance.”

4

יֵבֹשׁוּ וְיִכָּלְמוּ מְבַקְשֵׁי נַפְשִׁי יִסֹּגוּ אָחוֹר וְיַחְפְּרוּ חֹשְׁבֵי רָעָתִי׃

Let those who seek my life be frustrated and put to shame; let those who plan to harm me fall back in disgrace.

5

יִהְיוּ כְּמֹץ לִפְנֵי־רוּחַ וּמַלְאַךְ יְהֹוָה דּוֹחֶה׃

Let them be as chaff in the wind, GOD’s angel driving them on.

6

יְהִי־דַרְכָּם חֹשֶׁךְ וַחֲלַקְלַקֹּת וּמַלְאַךְ יְהֹוָה רֹדְפָם׃

Let their path be dark and slippery, with GOD’s angel in pursuit.

7

כִּי־חִנָּם טָמְנוּ־לִי שַׁחַת רִשְׁתָּם חִנָּם חָפְרוּ לְנַפְשִׁי׃

For without cause they hid a net to trap me; without cause they dug a pit for me.

8

תְּבוֹאֵהוּ שׁוֹאָה לֹא־יֵדָע וְרִשְׁתּוֹ אֲשֶׁר־טָמַן תִּלְכְּדוֹ בְּשׁוֹאָה יִפׇּל־בָּהּ׃

Let disaster overtake them unawares; let the net they hid catch them; let them fall into it when disaster [strikes].

9

וְנַפְשִׁי תָּגִיל בַּיהֹוָה תָּשִׂישׂ בִּישׁוּעָתוֹ׃

Then shall I exult in GOD, rejoice in having been delivered.

10

כׇּל־עַצְמוֹתַי תֹּאמַרְנָה יְהֹוָה מִי־כָמוֹךָ מַצִּיל עָנִי מֵחָזָק מִמֶּנּוּ וְעָנִי וְאֶבְיוֹן מִגֹּזְלוֹ׃

All my bones shall say, “ETERNAL One, who is like You? You save a pauper from someone stronger, a needy pauper from a despoiler.”

11

יְקוּמוּן עֵדֵי חָמָס אֲשֶׁר לֹא־יָדַעְתִּי יִשְׁאָלוּנִי׃

Malicious witnesses appear who question me about things I do not know.

12

יְשַׁלְּמוּנִי רָעָה תַּחַת טוֹבָה שְׁכוֹל לְנַפְשִׁי׃

They repay me evil for good, [seeking] my bereavement.

13

וַאֲנִי בַּחֲלוֹתָם לְבוּשִׁי שָׂק עִנֵּיתִי בַצּוֹם נַפְשִׁי וּתְפִלָּתִי עַל־חֵיקִי תָשׁוּב׃

Yet, when they were ill, my dress was sackcloth, I kept a fast— may what I prayed for happen to me!

14

כְּרֵעַ־כְּאָח לִי הִתְהַלָּכְתִּי כַּאֲבֶל־אֵם קֹדֵר שַׁחוֹתִי׃

I walked about as though it were my friend or my kin; I was bowed with gloom, like one mourning for a mother.

15

וּבְצַלְעִי שָׂמְחוּ וְנֶאֱסָפוּ נֶאֶסְפוּ עָלַי נֵכִים וְלֹא יָדַעְתִּי קָרְעוּ וְלֹא־דָמּוּ׃

But when I stumble, they gleefully gather; wretches gather against me, I know not why; they tear at me without end.

16

בְּחַנְפֵי לַעֲגֵי מָעוֹג חָרֹק עָלַי שִׁנֵּימוֹ׃

With impious, mocking grimace they gnash their teeth at me.

17

אֲדֹנָי כַּמָּה תִרְאֶה הָשִׁיבָה נַפְשִׁי מִשֹּׁאֵיהֶם מִכְּפִירִים יְחִידָתִי׃

O my Sovereign, how long will You look on? Rescue me from their attacks, my precious life, from the lions,

18

אוֹדְךָ בְּקָהָל רָב בְּעַם עָצוּם אֲהַלְלֶךָּ׃

that I may praise You in a great congregation, acclaim You in a mighty throng.

19

אַל־יִשְׂמְחוּ־לִי אֹיְבַי שֶׁקֶר שֹׂנְאַי חִנָּם יִקְרְצוּ־עָיִן׃

Let not my treacherous enemies rejoice over me, or those who hate me without reason wink their eyes.

20

כִּי לֹא שָׁלוֹם יְדַבֵּרוּ וְעַל רִגְעֵי־אֶרֶץ דִּבְרֵי מִרְמוֹת יַחֲשֹׁבוּן׃

For they do not offer amity, but devise fraudulent schemes against harmless folk.

21

וַיַּרְחִיבוּ עָלַי פִּיהֶם אָמְרוּ הֶאָח הֶאָח רָאֲתָה עֵינֵנוּ׃

They open wide their mouths at me, saying, “Aha, aha, we have seen it!”

22

רָאִיתָה יְהֹוָה אַל־תֶּחֱרַשׁ אֲדֹנָי אַל־תִּרְחַק מִמֶּנִּי׃

You have seen it, O ETERNAL One; do not hold aloof! O my Sovereign, be not far from me!

23

הָעִירָה וְהָקִיצָה לְמִשְׁפָּטִי אֱלֹהַי וַאדֹנָי לְרִיבִי׃

Wake, rouse Yourself for my cause, for my claim, O my God and my Sovereign!

24

שׇׁפְטֵנִי כְצִדְקְךָ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהָי וְאַל־יִשְׂמְחוּ־לִי׃

Take up my cause, O my ETERNAL God, as You are beneficent, and let them not rejoice over me.

25

אַל־יֹאמְרוּ בְלִבָּם הֶאָח נַפְשֵׁנוּ אַל־יֹאמְרוּ בִּלַּעֲנוּהוּ׃

Let them not think, “Aha, just what we wished!” Let them not say, “We have destroyed him!”

26

יֵבֹשׁוּ וְיַחְפְּרוּ יַחְדָּו שְׂמֵחֵי רָעָתִי יִלְבְּשׁוּ־בֹשֶׁת וּכְלִמָּה הַמַּגְדִּילִים עָלָי׃

May those who rejoice at my misfortune be frustrated and utterly disgraced; may those who vaunt themselves over me be clad in frustration and shame.

27

יָרֹנּוּ וְיִשְׂמְחוּ חֲפֵצֵי צִדְקִי וְיֹאמְרוּ תָמִיד יִגְדַּל יְהֹוָה הֶחָפֵץ שְׁלוֹם עַבְדּוֹ׃

May those who desire my vindication sing forth joyously; may they always say, “Extolled be GOD who desires the well-being of one who renders service,”

28

וּלְשׁוֹנִי תֶּהְגֶּה צִדְקֶךָ כׇּל־הַיּוֹם תְּהִלָּתֶךָ׃ {פ}

while my tongue shall recite Your beneficent acts, Your praises all day long.