Psalms

Plead my cause, O LORD, with them that strive with me: fight against them that fight against me.

1LORD, take my side against the people who accuse me. Fight against those who fight against me.

2Take hold of shield and buckler, and stand up for mine help.

2Pick up your shield, both large and small, and stand up to help me.

NoteA buckler is a small shield held in the hand. The verse names both kinds of shield, large and small.

3Draw out also the spear, and stop the way against them that persecute me: say unto my soul, I am thy salvation.

3Lift your spear and block the road against the people chasing me. Tell me, "I am the one who saves you."

4Let them be confounded and put to shame that seek after my soul: let them be turned back and brought to confusion that devise my hurt.

4Shame the people who want to kill me. Turn back the people who plan to hurt me, and leave them confused.

5Let them be as chaff before the wind: and let the angel of the LORD chase them.

5Make them like dry straw blown away by the wind, with the angel of the LORD driving them off.

6Let their way be dark and slippery: and let the angel of the LORD persecute them.

6Make their path dark and slippery, with the angel of the LORD chasing after them.

7For without cause have they hid for me their net in a pit, which without cause they have digged for my soul.

7For no reason at all they hid a net to catch me. For no reason they dug a pit to trap me.

8Let destruction come upon him at unawares; and let his net that he hath hid catch himself: into that very destruction let him fall.

8Let ruin hit them when they least expect it. Let the net they hid catch them. Let them fall into their own trap.

9And my soul shall be joyful in the LORD: it shall rejoice in his salvation.

9Then I will be glad because of the LORD. I will be full of joy because he saved me.

10All my bones shall say, LORD, who is like unto thee, which deliverest the poor from him that is too strong for him, yea, the poor and the needy from him that spoileth him?

10Every bone in my body will say, "LORD, who is like you? You rescue weak people from those too strong for them. You save the poor and needy from robbers."

11False witnesses did rise up; they laid to my charge things that I knew not.

11Lying witnesses stood up in court. They accused me of things I knew nothing about.

12They rewarded me evil for good to the spoiling of my soul.

12I did them good, and they paid me back with evil. It leaves me feeling empty.

13But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth: I humbled my soul with fasting; and my prayer returned into mine own bosom.

13But when they were sick, I wore rough cloth to show my sadness. I went without food and prayed hard, and my prayer came back to me unanswered.

Note"Sackcloth" was scratchy cloth made of goat hair. People wore it to show deep sadness. "My prayer returned into mine own bosom" means the prayer came back to him with no answer.

14I behaved myself as though he had been my friend or brother: I bowed down heavily, as one that mourneth for his mother.

14I acted as if they were my friend or my brother. I walked bent over with grief, like a man mourning his mother.

15But in mine adversity they rejoiced, and gathered themselves together: yea, the abjects gathered themselves together against me, and I knew it not; they did tear me, and ceased not:

15But when I stumbled, they were delighted and crowded together. Attackers I did not even know tore at me with words, and would not stop.

16With hypocritical mockers in feasts, they gnashed upon me with their teeth.

16Like men who mock and joke at a party, they ground their teeth at me in hate.

17Lord, how long wilt thou look on? rescue my soul from their destructions, my darling from the lions.

17Lord, how long will you just watch? Save me from the harm they do. Save my life from these lions.

Note"My darling" in the old English does not mean a person he loves. It means his own life, the one thing most precious to him.

18I will give thee thanks in the great congregation: I will praise thee among much people.

18Then I will thank you when everyone is gathered. I will praise you in front of a great crowd.

19Let not them that are mine enemies wrongfully rejoice over me: neither let them wink with the eye that hate me without a cause.

19Do not let my enemies gloat over me, since they have no reason to. Do not let those who hate me for nothing exchange sly looks.

Note"Wink with the eye" means passing a quick, private look to share a mean joke at someone's expense.

20For they speak not peace: but they devise deceitful matters against them that are quiet in the land.

20They do not talk about peace. They cook up lies against people who are living quietly.

21Yea, they opened their mouth wide against me, and said, Aha, aha, our eye hath seen it.

21They open their mouths wide at me and say, "Aha! Aha! We saw it with our own eyes!"

22This thou hast seen, O LORD: keep not silence: O Lord, be not far from me.

22LORD, you saw all of this. Do not stay quiet. Lord, do not stay far away from me.

23Stir up thyself, and awake to my judgment, even unto my cause, my God and my Lord.

23Wake up and get moving. Stand up and defend me, my God and my Lord.

24Judge me, O LORD my God, according to thy righteousness; and let them not rejoice over me.

24LORD my God, judge my case by your own fairness. Do not let them gloat over me.

25Let them not say in their hearts, Ah, so would we have it: let them not say, We have swallowed him up.

25Do not let them think, "Aha, this is just what we wanted." Do not let them say, "We have swallowed him whole."

26Let them be ashamed and brought to confusion together that rejoice at mine hurt: let them be clothed with shame and dishonour that magnify themselves against me.

26Shame and confuse everyone who is happy about my trouble. Cover with shame all who brag that they are better than me.

27Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the LORD be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.

27But let the people who want to see me cleared shout for joy. Let them always say, "The LORD is great. He is glad when his servant does well."

28And my tongue shall speak of thy righteousness and of thy praise all the day long.

28And I will talk about how fair you are, and praise you all day long.