1 'n Psalm van Dawid. HERE, twis met die wat met my twis; bestry die wat my bestry!
2 Gryp die klein skild en die grote, en staan op as my hulp!
3 En trek die spies uit en stuit my vervolgers! Spreek tot my siel: Ek is jou heil!
4 Laat hulle wat my lewe soek, beskaamd staan en in die skande kom; laat hulle wat my ongeluk beraam, agteruitwyk en rooi van skaamte word!
5 Laat hulle word soos kaf voor die wind, terwyl die Engel van die HERE hulle wegstoot.
6 Laat hulle weg duister en glibberig wees, terwyl die Engel van die HERE hulle vervolg!
7 Want hulle het sonder oorsaak die kuil met hul net vir my verberg, hulle het sonder oorsaak gegrawe teen my lewe.
8 Laat verwoesting oor hom kom sonder dat hy dit weet, en laat sy net hom vang wat hy gespan het; laat hom daarin val met verwoesting!
9 Maar my siel sal juig in die HERE, dit sal bly wees in sy heil.
10 Al my beendere sal sê: HERE, wie is soos U? U wat die ellendige red van die wat sterker is as hy; ja, die ellendige en behoeftige van sy berower!
11 Kwaadwillige getuies staan op; wat ek nie weet nie, vra hulle vir my.
12 Hulle vergeld my kwaad vir goed: verlatenheid vir my siel.
13 En ek -- toe hulle siek was, het ek 'n roukleed gedra; ek het my siel gekwel met vas, en my gebed het teruggekeer in my boesem.
14 Ek het rondgegaan asof dit 'n vriend, asof dit 'n broer van my was; ek het gebuk gegaan in die rou soos een wat oor sy moeder treur.
15 Maar as ek struikel, is hulle bly en kom bymekaar; hulle vergader teen my, lae mense en die wat ek nie ken nie; hulle laster sonder ophou.
16 Onder die roekeloosste tafelspotters kners hulle met hul tande teen my.
17 Here, hoe lank sal U dit aansien? Bring my siel terug van hulle verwoestinge, my enigste van die jong leeus af.
18 Ek sal U loof in 'n groot vergadering; onder 'n groot skare sal ek U prys.
19 Laat hulle oor my nie bly wees wat sonder grond my vyande is nie; laat die wat my sonder oorsaak haat, nie met die oë knip nie!
20 Want hulle spreek nie van vrede nie, maar hulle bedink bedrieglike woorde teen die stilles in die land.
21 En hulle maak hul mond wyd oop teen my, hulle sê: Ha, ha, ons oog het dit gesien!
22 HERE, U het dit gesien, swyg nie. Here, wees nie ver van my af nie!
23 Ontwaak en word wakker vir my reg; my God en Here, vir my regsaak.
24 Doen aan my reg na u geregtigheid, HERE my God, en laat hulle oor my nie bly wees nie!
25 Laat hulle in hul hart nie sê: Ha, ons begeerte! Laat hulle nie sê: Ons het hom verslind nie!
26 Laat hulle wat bly is oor my ongeluk, beskaamd staan en saam rooi van skaamte word; laat hulle wat hul teen my groot maak, met skaamte en skande beklee word!
27 Laat hulle jubel en bly wees wat 'n behae het in my geregtigheid; en laat hulle altyddeur sê: Groot is die HERE wat 'n welbehae het in die vrede van sy kneg!
28 En my tong sal u geregtigheid prys, u lof die hele dag deur.
1 Of David. O Lord, be on my side against those who are judging me; be at war with those who make war against me.
2 Be a breastplate to me, and give me your help.
3 Take up your spear and keep back my attackers; say to my soul, I am your salvation.
4 Let them be overcome and put to shame who make attempts to take my soul; let those who would do me damage be turned back and made foolish.
5 Let them be like dust from the grain before the wind; let the angel of the Lord send them in flight.
6 Let their way be dark and full of danger; let them be troubled by the angel of the Lord.
7 For without cause they have put a net ready for me secretly, in which to take my soul.
8 Let destruction come on them without their knowledge; let them be taken themselves in their secret nets, falling into the same destruction.
9 And my soul will have joy in the Lord; it will be glad in his salvation.
10 All my bones will say, Lord, who is like you? The saviour of the poor man from the hands of the strong, of him who is poor and in need from him who takes his goods.
11 False witnesses got up: they put questions to me about crimes of which I had no knowledge.
12 They gave me back evil for good, troubling my soul.
13 But as for me, when they were ill I put on the clothing of sorrow: I went without food and was sad, and my prayer came back again to my heart.
14 My behaviour was as if it had been my friend or my brother: I was bent low in grief like one whose mother is dead.
15 But they took pleasure in my trouble, and came together, yes, low persons came together against me without my knowledge; they never came to an end of wounding me.
16 Like men of deceit they put me to shame; the voice of their wrath was loud against me.
17 Lord, how long will you be looking on? take my soul from their destruction, my life from the lions.
18 I will give you praise in the great meeting; I will give you honour among a strong people.
19 Do not let my haters be glad over me falsely; let not those who are against me without cause make sport of me.
20 For they do not say words of peace; in their deceit they are designing evil things against the quiet ones in the land.
21 Their mouths were open wide against me, and they said, Aha, aha, our eyes have seen it.
22 You have seen this, O Lord; be not unmoved: O Lord, be not far from me.
23 Be awake, O Lord, be moved to take up my cause, my God and my Lord.
24 Be my judge, O Lord my God, in your righteousness; do not let them be glad over me.
25 Let them not say in their hearts, So we will have it: let them not say, We have put an end to him.
26 Let all those who take pleasure in my troubles be shamed and come to nothing: let those who are lifted up against me be covered with shame and have no honour.
27 Let those who are on my side give cries of joy; let them ever say, The Lord be praised, for he has pleasure in the peace of his servant.
28 And my tongue will be talking of your righteousness and of your praise all the day.