לְדָוִד רִיבָה ה' אֶת יְרִיבַי לְחַם אֶת לֹחֲמָי

By David. Strive, Lord, against my rivals. Fight on my behalf.

הַחֲזֵק מָגֵן וְצִנָּה וְקוּמָה בְּעֶזְרָתִי

Take hold of shield and armor and rise up to help me,

וְהָרֵק חֲנִית וּסְגֹר לִקְרַאת רֹדְפָי אֱמֹר לְנַפְשִׁי יְשֻׁעָתֵךְ אָנִי

and unsheathe a spear to block my pursuers; say to me: I am your salvation.

יֵבֹשׁוּ וְיִכָּלְמוּ מְבַקְשֵׁי נַפְשִׁי יִסֹּגוּ אָחוֹר וְיַחְפְּרוּ חֹשְׁבֵי רָעָתִי

Let those who seek my life be ashamed and dishonored; may those devising evil against me be turned back and humiliated.

יִהְיוּ כְּמֹץ לִפְנֵי רוּחַ וּמַלְאַךְ ה' דּוֹחֶה

Let them be like chaff in the wind, with an angel of the Lord scattering them.

יְהִי דַרְכָּם חֹשֶׁךְ וַחֲלַקְלַקֹּת וּמַלְאַךְ ה' רֹדְפָם

Let their way be dark and slippery, two factors likely to cause one to lose his footing and fall, with an angel of the Lord pursuing them.

כִּי חִנָּם טָמְנוּ לִי שַׁחַת רִשְׁתָּם ; חִנָּם חָפְרוּ לְנַפְשִׁי

For without cause they have hidden ditches and nets against me with which to trap me; without cause they have dug pits for the purpose of harming me or taking my soul.

תְּבוֹאֵהוּ שׁוֹאָה לֹא יֵדָע וְרִשְׁתּוֹ אֲשֶׁר טָמַן תִּלְכְּדוֹ בְּשׁוֹאָה יִפָּל בָּהּ

Let calamity come upon him, upon my enemy, unawares, without him even understanding what it was that brought him down. Let the net that he laid for me ensnare him instead. Let him plunge into that very calamity that he had planned for me.

וְנַפְשִׁי תָּגִיל בַּה' תָּשִׂישׂ בִּישׁוּעָתוֹ

As for me, I will rejoice in the Lord, happy in His salvation.

כָּל עַצְמוֹתַי תֹּאמַרְנָה ה' מִי כָמוֹךָ מַצִּיל עָנִי מֵחָזָק מִמֶּנּוּ וְעָנִי וְאֶבְיוֹן מִגֹּזְלוֹ

All my bones will say, my entire body, as it were, will join with my mouth in praising God: Lord, who is like You, who delivers the poor from those who are stronger, the poor and the needy from their despoiler?

יְקוּמוּן עֵדֵי חָמָס אֲשֶׁר לֹא יָדַעְתִּי יִשְׁאָלוּנִי

The psalmist describes some of the evil plans his enemies have employed against him: Malicious, false witnesses arise to accuse me, asking me concerning things about which I know nothing and imputing to me baseless claims.

יְשַׁלְּמוּנִי רָעָה תַּחַת טוֹבָה שְׁכוֹל לְנַפְשִׁי

What hurts most is that some of my accusers are people whom I used to help in their times of need. They repay me evil for good, causing me grief.

וַאֲנִי בַּחֲלוֹתָם לְבוּשִׁי שָׂק עִנֵּיתִי בַצּוֹם נַפְשִׁי וּתְפִלָּתִי עַל חֵיקִי תָשׁוּב

Whereas I, when they were sick, felt genuine sympathy for them; my garb was sackcloth as an expression of my distress over their troubles, and I afflicted my soul in fasting. But my prayer returned to my breast. They did not appreciate my commiseration and actions on their behalf; to them it was as though my prayers were being uttered for myself.

כְּרֵעַ כְּאָח לִי הִתְהַלָּכְתִּי כַּאֲבֶל אֵם קֹדֵר שַׁחוֹתִי

As if with a beloved friend or brother I walked along with them, sharing their burden, bowed in gloom, as if grieving for a deceased mother.

ובְצַלְעִי שָׂמְחוּ וְנֶאֱסָפוּ נֶאֶסְפוּ עָלַי נֵכִים וְלֹא יָדַעְתִּי קָרְעוּ וְלֹא דָמּוּ

But, in marked contrast, when I was limping and hurting, they rejoiced and gathered together to gloat and to taunt me. My attackers congregated without my knowing what caused them to turn against me, tearing at me, at my clothing and my flesh, without pause.

בְּחַנְפֵי לַעֲגֵי מָעוֹג חָרֹק עָלַי שִׁנֵּימוֹ

In their hypocrisy they made contemptuous gestures; they gnashed their teeth at me in derision and enmity.

אֲדֹנָי כַּמָּה תִרְאֶה הָשִׁיבָה נַפְשִׁי מִשֹּׁאֵיהֶם מִכְּפִירִים יְחִידָתִי

In the face of such hatred, the psalmist prays to God: My Lord, how long will You look on without coming to my aid? Rescue me from their ravages that they have schemed for me; save my soul from these enemies, who are ferocious like young lions.

אוֹדְךָ בְּקָהָל רָב בְּעַם עָצוּם אֲהַלְלֶךָּ

After You heed my prayer and save me, I will thank You in a great assembly, and I will praise You among a mighty throng.

אַל יִשְׂמְחוּ לִי אֹיְבַי שֶׁקֶר שׂנְאַי חִנָּם יִקְרְצוּ עָיִן

Do not allow my false enemies, enemies who had pretended to be my friends, to gloat over me, or those who hate me without cause, people with no reason to hate me, who therefore remained unsuspected by me, to wink with their eyes toward me in contempt.

כִּי לֹא שָׁלוֹם יְדַבֵּרוּ וְעַל רִגְעֵי אֶרֶץ דִּבְרֵי מִרְמוֹת יַחֲשֹׁבוּן

For they do not speak of peace toward me; they devise deceitful plans against those living serenely in the land, who harbor no malice toward anyone.

וַיַּרְחִיבוּ עָלַי פִּיהֶם אָמְרוּ הֶאָח הֶאָח רָאֲתָה עֵינֵנוּ

And when they believe that they have witnessed my downfall, they mockingly open their mouths wide against me, saying: Hurrah, hurrah! Our eyes have finally seen it, his defeat.

רָאִיתָה ה' אַל תֶּחֱרַשׁ אֲדֹנָי אַל תִּרְחַק מִמֶּנִּי

You have seen this, Lord; do not keep silent. Lord, do not be far from me.

הָעִירָה וְהָקִיצָה לְמִשְׁפָּטִי אֱלֹהַי וַאדֹנָי לְרִיבִי

Be bestirred and awaken to do justice for me; my God and my Lord, come to aid me in my struggle.

שָׁפְטֵנִי כְצִדְקְךָ ה' אֱלֹהָי וְאַל יִשְׂמְחוּ לִי

Vindicate me, Lord my God, as befits Your righteousness; do not let them rejoice over me.

אַל יֹאמְרוּ בְלִבָּם הֶאָח נַפְשֵׁנוּ אַל יֹאמְרוּ בִּלַּעֲנוּהוּ

Do not let them say in their heart: Hurrah for us, for he has finally fallen! Do not let them say: We have devoured and destroyed him.

יֵבֹשׁוּ וְיַחְפְּרו יַחְדָּו שְׂמֵחֵי רָעָתִי יִלְבְּשׁוּ בֹשֶׁת וּכְלִמָּה הַמַּגְדִּילִים עָלָי

May those who rejoice at my distress be altogether ashamed and humiliated; may those who glorify themselves about me, about my misfortune, be clothed in shame and dishonor.

יָרֹנּוּ וְיִשְׂמְחוּ חֲפֵצֵי צִדְקִי וְיֹאמְרוּ תָמִיד יִגְדַּל ה' הֶחָפֵץ שְׁלוֹם עַבְדּוֹ

The psalmist ends on a positive note: May those who desire my vindication sing out and rejoice, always saying: Great is the Lord who delights in the well-being of His servant and has therefore granted him salvation.

לְשׁוֹנִי תֶּהְגֶּה צִדְקֶךָ כָּל הַיּוֹם תְּהִלָּתֶךָ

And then my tongue will utter Your righteousness, and Your praises all day long.