(A psalm by David.)

A prayer for protection from enemies

1Fight my enemies, LORD!

Attack my attackers!

2Shield me and help me.

3Aim your spear at everyone

who hunts me down,

but promise to save me.

4Let all who want to kill me

be disappointed

and disgraced.

Chase away and confuse

all who plan to harm me.

5Send your angel after them

and let them be like straw

in the wind.

6Make them run in the dark

on a slippery road,

as your angel chases them.

7I did them no harm,

but they hid a net

to trap me,

and they dug a deep pit

to catch and kill me.

8Surprise them with disaster!

Trap them in their own nets

and let them fall and rot

in the pits they have dug.

9I will celebrate and be joyful

because you, LORD,

have saved me.

10Every bone in my body

will shout:

“No one is like the LORD!”

You protect the helpless

from those in power;

you save the poor and needy

from those who hurt them.

11Liars accuse me of crimes

I know nothing about.

12They repay evil for good,

and I feel all alone.

13When they were sick,

I wore sackcloth35.13 sackcloth: See the note at 30.11.

and went without food.35.13 went without food: People sometimes went without food (called “fasting”) to show sorrow.

I truly prayed for them,35.13 I…them: Or “My prayer wasn't answered, but I prayed.”

14as I would for a friend

or a relative.

I was in sorrow and mourned,

as I would for my mother.

15I have stumbled,

and worthless liars

I don't even know

surround me and sneer.

16Worthless people make fun35.16 Worthless…fun: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.

and never stop laughing.

17But all you do is watch!

When will you do something?

Save me from the attack

of those vicious lions.

18And when your people meet,

I will praise you

and thank you, Lord,

in front of them all.

19Don't let my brutal enemies35.19: Ps 69.4; Jn 15.25.

be glad because of me.

They hate me for no reason.

Don't let them wink

behind my back.

20They say hurtful things,

and they lie to people

who want to live in peace.

21They are quick to accuse me.

They say, “You did it!

We saw you ourselves.”

22You see everything, LORD!

Please don't keep silent

or stay so far away.

23Fight to defend me, Lord God,

24and prove that I am right

by your standards.

Don't let them laugh at me

25or say to each other,

“Now we've got what we want!

We'll gobble him up!”

26Disappoint and confuse

all who are glad

to see me in trouble,

but disgrace and embarrass

my proud enemies who say to me,

“You are nothing!”

27Let all who want me to win

be happy and joyful.

From now on let them say,

“The LORD is wonderful!

God is glad when all goes well

for his servant.”

28Then I will shout all day,

“Praise the LORD God!

He did what was right.”