1Von David. HERR, führe meine Sache gegen meine Widersacher, bekämpfe, die mich bekämpfen!2Ergreife Schild und Panzer und mache dich auf, mir zu helfen!3Zücke Speer und Lanze wider meine Verfolger! Sprich zu mir: Ich bin deine Hilfe!4Es sollen sich schämen und zum Spott werden, die mir nach dem Leben trachten; es sollen zurückweichen und zuschanden werden, die mein Unglück wollen.5Sie sollen werden wie Spreu vor dem Winde, und der Engel des HERRN stoße sie weg.6Ihr Weg soll finster und schlüpfrig werden, und der Engel des HERRN verfolge sie.7Denn ohne Grund haben sie mir ihr Netz gestellt, ohne Grund mir eine Grube gegraben.8Unversehens soll ihn Unheil überfallen; / sein Netz, das er gestellt hat, fange ihn selber, zum eigenen Unheil stürze er hinein.9Aber meine Seele soll sich freuen des HERRN und fröhlich sein über seine Hilfe.10Alle meine Gebeine sollen sagen: HERR, wer ist dir gleich? Der du den Elenden rettest / vor dem, der ihm zu stark ist, und den Elenden und Armen vor seinem Räuber.11Ruchlose Zeugen treten auf; sie werfen mir vor, wovon ich nichts weiß.12Sie vergelten mir Gutes mit Bösem, einsam bin ich und verlassen[1].13Ich aber zog einen Sack an, wenn sie krank waren, / quälte mich mit Fasten und betete mit gesenktem Haupt, (Hi 31,29)14als wären sie mir Freund und Bruder. So ging ich einher, wie einer Leid trägt über seine Mutter, so beugte ich mich in Trauer. (Röm 12,15)15Sie aber freuen sich, wenn ich wanke, und rotten sich zusammen; sie rotten sich heimlich zum Schlag wider mich, sie schmähen und hören nicht auf.16Sie lästern und spotten immerfort und knirschen mit ihren Zähnen wider mich.17Herr, wie lange willst du zusehen? Errette doch mein Leben vor ihrem Wüten, mein einziges Gut vor den jungen Löwen!18Ich will dir danken in großer Gemeinde; unter vielem Volk will ich dich rühmen.19Lass sich nicht über mich freuen, die mir zu Unrecht feind sind, noch mit den Augen spotten, die mich ohne Grund hassen! (Ps 25,19; Ps 69,5)20Denn sie reden nicht, was dem Frieden dient, und ersinnen falsche Anklagen wider die Stillen im Lande.21Sie sperren das Maul weit auf wider mich und sprechen: »Da, da, wir sehen’s mit eigenen Augen!«22HERR, du hast es gesehen, schweige nicht; HERR, sei nicht ferne von mir!23Wach auf, werde wach für mein Recht und meine Sache, mein Gott und Herr!24HERR, mein Gott, schaffe mir Recht nach deiner Gerechtigkeit, dass sie sich nicht über mich freuen.25Lass sie nicht sagen in ihrem Herzen: »Da! Das wollten wir.« Lass sie nicht sagen: »Wir haben ihn verschlungen.«26Sie sollen sich schämen und zuschanden werden, alle, die sich meines Unglücks freuen; sie sollen in Schmach und Schande sich kleiden, die sich wider mich rühmen.27Jubeln und freuen sollen sich, die Gefallen haben an meiner Gerechtigkeit, und immer sagen: Der HERR sei hochgelobt, der seinem Knecht so wohl will!28Und meine Zunge soll reden von deiner Gerechtigkeit und dich täglich preisen.
1LORD, stand up against those who stand up against me. Fight against those who fight against me.2Pick up your shield and your armour. Rise up and help me.3Get your spear and javelin ready to fight against those who are chasing me. Say to me, ‘I will save you.’4Let those who are trying to kill me be brought down in dishonour. Let those who plan to destroy me be turned back in terror.5Let them be like straw blowing in the wind, while the angel of the LORD drives them away.6Let their path be dark and slippery, while the angel of the LORD chases them.7They set a trap for me without any reason. Without any reason they dug a pit to catch me.8So let them be destroyed without warning. Let the trap they set for me catch them. Let them fall into the pit and be destroyed.9Then I will be full of joy because of what the LORD has done. I will be glad because he has saved me.10My whole being will cry out, ‘Who is like you, LORD? You save poor people from those who are too strong for them. You save poor and needy people from those who rob them.’11Mean people come forward to speak against me. They ask me things I don’t know anything about.12They pay me back with evil, even though I was good to them. They leave me like someone who has lost a family member.13But when they were ill, I put on the clothing of sadness. I made myself humble by going without food. My prayers for them weren’t always answered.14So I went around crying as if I were mourning over my friend or relative. I bowed my head in sadness as if I were weeping over my mother.15But when I tripped and fell, they were all very happy. Attackers gathered against me when I didn’t even know it. They kept on telling lies about me.16Like ungodly people, they were mean and made fun of me. They ground their teeth at me in hate.17Lord, how much longer will you just look on? Save me from their deadly attacks. Save the only life I have. Save me from these lions.18I will give you thanks in the whole community. Among all your people I will praise you.19Don’t let those who are my enemies without any reason laugh at me and make fun of me. Don’t let those who hate me without any reason wink at me with an evil purpose.20They don’t speak words of peace. They make up false charges against those who live quietly in the land.21They make fun of me. They say, ‘With our own eyes we have seen what you did.’22LORD, you have seen this. Don’t be silent. Lord, don’t be far away from me.23Wake up! Rise up to help me! My God and Lord, stand up for me.24LORD my God, when you hand down your sentence, let it be in my favour. You always do what is right. Don’t let my enemies have the joy of seeing me fall.25Don’t let them think, ‘That’s exactly what we wanted!’ Don’t let them say, ‘We have swallowed him up.’26Let all those who laugh at me because I’m in trouble be ashamed and bewildered. Let all who think they are better than I am put on shame and dishonour as if they were clothes.27Let those who are happy when my name is cleared shout with joy and gladness. Let them always say, ‘May the LORD be honoured. He is pleased when everything goes well with the one who serves him.’28You always do what is right. My tongue will speak about it and praise you all day long.
1Contend, O LORD, with those who contend with me; fight against those who fight against me! (2Mo 14,25; Jes 42,13; Jes 49,25)2Take hold of shield and buckler and rise for my help! (Ps 5,12; Ps 91,4)3Draw the spear and javelin[1] against my pursuers! Say to my soul, “I am your salvation!”4Let them be put to shame and dishonor who seek after my life! Let them be turned back and disappointed who devise evil against me! (Ps 35,26; Ps 40,14; Ps 69,22; Ps 70,2; Ps 71,13; Ps 83,17; Ps 109,6; Ps 129,5)5Let them be like chaff before the wind, with the angel of the LORD driving them away! (Hi 21,18)6Let their way be dark and slippery, with the angel of the LORD pursuing them! (Ps 73,18; Jer 23,12)7For without cause they hid their net for me; without cause they dug a pit for my life.[2] (Hi 18,8; Ps 7,15; Ps 69,4)8Let destruction come upon him when he does not know it! And let the net that he hid ensnare him; let him fall into it—to his destruction! (Jes 47,11; 1Thess 5,3)9Then my soul will rejoice in the LORD, exulting in his salvation. (Ps 9,14; Lk 1,47)10All my bones shall say, “O LORD, who is like you, delivering the poor from him who is too strong for him, the poor and needy from him who robs him?” (2Mo 15,11; Ps 51,8; Ps 71,19; Ps 86,8; Ps 89,6; Ps 89,8; Ps 113,5)11Malicious[3] witnesses rise up; they ask me of things that I do not know. (Ps 27,12)12They repay me evil for good; my soul is bereft.[4] (Ps 38,20; Ps 109,4; Jer 18,20; Joh 10,32)13But I, when they were sick— I wore sackcloth; I afflicted myself with fasting; I prayed with head bowed[5] on my chest. (4Mo 29,7; 1Kön 20,31; Hi 30,25; Ps 69,10; Ps 69,11; Mt 10,13)14I went about as though I grieved for my friend or my brother; as one who laments his mother, I bowed down in mourning. (Ps 38,6)15But at my stumbling they rejoiced and gathered; they gathered together against me; wretches whom I did not know tore at me without ceasing; (Hi 30,1; Hi 30,8; Hi 30,12)16like profane mockers at a feast,[6] they gnash at me with their teeth. (Hi 16,9; Ps 37,12; Kla 2,16)17How long, O Lord, will you look on? Rescue me from their destruction, my precious life from the lions! (Ps 22,20; Hab 1,13)18I will thank you in the great congregation; in the mighty throng I will praise you. (Ps 22,25)19Let not those rejoice over me who are wrongfully my foes, and let not those wink the eye who hate me without cause. (Ps 13,4; Ps 35,7; Ps 35,24; Ps 38,19; Ps 69,4; Ps 119,78; Ps 119,86; Spr 6,13; Spr 10,10; Joh 15,25)20For they do not speak peace, but against those who are quiet in the land they devise words of deceit.21They open wide their mouths against me; they say, “Aha, Aha! Our eyes have seen it!” (Ps 22,13; Ps 35,25; Ps 40,15; Ps 70,3)22You have seen, O LORD; be not silent! O Lord, be not far from me! (2Mo 3,7; Ps 10,1; Ps 28,1)23Awake and rouse yourself for my vindication, for my cause, my God and my Lord! (Ps 7,6; Ps 44,23; Ps 59,4; Ps 80,2)24Vindicate me, O LORD, my God, according to your righteousness, and let them not rejoice over me! (Ps 7,8; Ps 35,19)25Let them not say in their hearts, “Aha, our heart’s desire!” Let them not say, “We have swallowed him up.” (2Sam 17,16; Ps 35,21; Kla 2,16)26Let them be put to shame and disappointed altogether who rejoice at my calamity! Let them be clothed with shame and dishonor who magnify themselves against me! (Hi 8,22; Hi 19,5; Ps 4,1)27Let those who delight in my righteousness shout for joy and be glad and say evermore, “Great is the LORD, who delights in the welfare of his servant!” (Ps 34,3; Ps 40,16; Ps 70,4; Ps 149,4)28Then my tongue shall tell of your righteousness and of your praise all the day long. (Ps 51,14; Ps 71,8; Ps 71,15; Ps 71,24)