Contend with My Opponents, O LORD
רִיבָ֣ה יְ֭הוָה אֶת־יְרִיבַ֑י לְ֝חַ֗ם אֶת־לֹֽחֲמָֽי׃
Contend with my opponents, O LORD; fight against those who fight against me.
הַחֲזֵ֣ק מָגֵ֣ן וְצִנָּ֑ה וְ֝ק֗וּמָה בְּעֶזְרָתִֽי׃
Take up Your shield and buckler; arise and come to my aid.
וְהָ֘רֵ֤ק חֲנִ֣ית וּ֭סְגֹר לִקְרַ֣את רֹדְפָ֑י אֱמֹ֥ר לְ֝נַפְשִׁ֗י יְֽשֻׁעָתֵ֥ךְ אָֽנִי׃
Draw the spear and javelin against my pursuers; say to my soul: “I am your salvation.”
יֵבֹ֣שׁוּ וְיִכָּלְמוּ֮ מְבַקְשֵׁ֪י נַ֫פְשִׁ֥י יִסֹּ֣גוּ אָח֣וֹר וְיַחְפְּר֑וּ חֹ֝שְׁבֵ֗י רָעָתִֽי׃
May those who seek my life be disgraced and put to shame; may those who plan to harm me be driven back and confounded.
יִֽהְי֗וּ כְּמֹ֥ץ לִפְנֵי־ר֑וּחַ וּמַלְאַ֖ךְ יְהוָ֣ה דּוֹחֶֽה׃
May they be like chaff in the wind, as the angel of the LORD drives them away.
יְֽהִי־דַרְכָּ֗ם חֹ֥שֶׁךְ וַחֲלַקְלַקּ֑וֹת וּמַלְאַ֥ךְ יְ֝הוָ֗ה רֹדְפָֽם׃
May their path be dark and slick, as the angel of the LORD pursues.
כִּֽי־חִנָּ֣ם טָֽמְנוּ־לִ֭י שַׁ֣חַת רִשְׁתָּ֑ם חִ֝נָּ֗ם חָפְר֥וּ לְנַפְשִֽׁי׃
For without cause they laid their net for me; without reason they dug a pit for my soul.
תְּבוֹאֵ֣הוּ שׁוֹאָה֮ לֹֽא־יֵ֫דָ֥ע וְרִשְׁתּ֣וֹ אֲשֶׁר־טָמַ֣ן תִּלְכְּד֑וֹ בְּ֝שׁוֹאָ֗ה יִפָּל־בָּֽהּ׃
May ruin befall them by surprise; may the net they hid ensnare them; may they fall into the hazard they created.
וְ֭נַפְשִׁי תָּגִ֣יל בַּיהוָ֑ה תָּ֝שִׂישׂ בִּישׁוּעָתֽוֹ׃
Then my soul will rejoice in the LORD and exult in His salvation.
כָּ֥ל עַצְמוֹתַ֨י׀ תֹּאמַרְנָה֮ יְהוָ֗ה מִ֥י כָ֫מ֥וֹךָ מַצִּ֣יל עָ֭נִי מֵחָזָ֣ק מִמֶּ֑נּוּ וְעָנִ֥י וְ֝אֶבְי֗וֹן מִגֹּזְלֽוֹ׃
All my bones will exclaim, “Who is like You, O LORD, who delivers the afflicted from the aggressor, the poor and needy from the robber?”
יְ֭קוּמוּן עֵדֵ֣י חָמָ֑ס אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹא־יָ֝דַ֗עְתִּי יִשְׁאָלֽוּנִי׃
Hostile witnesses come forward; they make charges I know nothing about.
יְשַׁלְּמ֣וּנִי רָ֭עָה תַּ֥חַת טוֹבָ֗ה שְׁכ֣וֹל לְנַפְשִֽׁי׃
They repay me evil for good, to the bereavement of my soul.
וַאֲנִ֤י׀ בַּחֲלוֹתָ֡ם לְב֬וּשִׁי שָׂ֗ק עִנֵּ֣יתִי בַצּ֣וֹם נַפְשִׁ֑י וּ֝תְפִלָּתִ֗י עַל־חֵיקִ֥י תָשֽׁוּב׃
Yet when they were ill, I put on sackcloth; I humbled myself with fasting, but my prayers returned unanswered.
כְּרֵֽעַ־כְּאָ֣ח לִ֭י הִתְהַלָּ֑כְתִּי כַּאֲבֶל־אֵ֝֗ם קֹדֵ֥ר שַׁחֽוֹתִי׃
I paced about as for my friend or brother; I was bowed down with grief, like one mourning for his mother.
וּבְצַלְעִי֮ שָׂמְח֪וּ וְֽנֶאֱ֫סָ֥פוּ נֶאֶסְפ֬וּ עָלַ֣י נֵ֭כִים וְלֹ֣א יָדַ֑עְתִּי קָֽרְע֥וּ וְלֹא־דָֽמּוּ׃
But when I stumbled, they assembled in glee; they gathered together against me. Assailants I did not know slandered me without ceasing.
בְּ֭חַנְפֵי לַעֲגֵ֣י מָע֑וֹג חָרֹ֖ק עָלַ֣י שִׁנֵּֽימוֹ׃
Like godless jesters at a feast, they gnashed their teeth at me.
אֲדֹנָי֮ כַּמָּ֪ה תִּ֫רְאֶ֥ה הָשִׁ֣יבָה נַ֭פְשִׁי מִשֹּׁאֵיהֶ֑ם מִ֝כְּפִירִ֗ים יְחִידָתִֽי׃
How long, O Lord, will You look on? Rescue my soul from their ravages, my precious life from these lions.
א֭וֹדְךָ בְּקָהָ֣ל רָ֑ב בְּעַ֖ם עָצ֣וּם אֲהַֽלְלֶֽךָּ׃
Then I will give You thanks in the great assembly; I will praise You among many people.
אַֽל־יִשְׂמְחוּ־לִ֣י אֹיְבַ֣י שֶׁ֑קֶר שֹׂנְאַ֥י חִ֝נָּ֗ם יִקְרְצוּ־עָֽיִן׃
Let not my enemies gloat over me without cause, nor those who hate me without reason wink in malice.
כִּ֤י לֹ֥א שָׁל֗וֹם יְדַ֫בֵּ֥רוּ וְעַ֥ל רִגְעֵי־אֶ֑רֶץ דִּבְרֵ֥י מִ֝רְמוֹת יַחֲשֹׁבֽוּן׃
For they do not speak peace, but they devise deceitful schemes against those who live quietly in the land.
וַיַּרְחִ֥יבוּ עָלַ֗י פִּ֫יהֶ֥ם אָ֭מְרוּ הֶאָ֣ח׀ הֶאָ֑ח רָאֲתָ֥ה עֵינֵֽינוּ׃
They gape at me and say, “Aha, aha! Our eyes have seen!”
רָאִ֣יתָה יְ֭הוָה אַֽל־תֶּחֱרַ֑שׁ אֲ֝דֹנָ֗י אֲל־תִּרְחַ֥ק מִמֶּֽנִּי׃
O LORD, You have seen it; be not silent. O Lord, be not far from me.
הָעִ֣ירָה וְ֭הָקִיצָה לְמִשְׁפָּטִ֑י אֱלֹהַ֖י וַֽאדֹנָ֣י לְרִיבִֽי׃
Awake and rise to my defense, to my cause, my God and my Lord!
שָׁפְטֵ֣נִי כְ֭צִדְקְךָ יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהָ֗י וְאַל־יִשְׂמְחוּ־לִֽי׃
Vindicate me by Your righteousness, O LORD my God, and do not let them gloat over me.
אַל־יֹאמְר֣וּ בְ֭לִבָּם הֶאָ֣ח נַפְשֵׁ֑נוּ אַל־יֹ֝אמְר֗וּ בִּֽלַּעֲנֽוּהוּ׃
Let them not say in their hearts, “Aha, just what we wanted!” Let them not say, “We have swallowed him up!”
יֵ֘בֹ֤שׁוּ וְיַחְפְּר֨וּ׀ יַחְדָּו֮ שְׂמֵחֵ֪י רָעָ֫תִ֥י יִֽלְבְּשׁוּ־בֹ֥שֶׁת וּכְלִמָּ֑ה הַֽמַּגְדִּילִ֥ים עָלָֽי׃
May those who gloat in my distress be ashamed and confounded; may those who exalt themselves over me be clothed in shame and reproach.
יָרֹ֣נּוּ וְיִשְׂמְחוּ֮ חֲפֵצֵ֪י צִ֫דְקִ֥י וְיֹאמְר֣וּ תָ֭מִיד יִגְדַּ֣ל יְהוָ֑ה הֶ֝חָפֵ֗ץ שְׁל֣וֹם עַבְדּֽוֹ׃
May those who favor my vindication shout for joy and gladness; may they always say, “Exalted be the LORD who delights in His servant’s well-being.”
וּ֭לְשׁוֹנִי תֶּהְגֶּ֣ה צִדְקֶ֑ךָ כָּל־הַ֝יּוֹם תְּהִלָּתֶֽךָ׃
Then my tongue will proclaim Your righteousness and Your praises all day long.