2. Pick up the shield and armor.Rise up and help me.
3. Lift up your spears, both large and small,against those who chase me.Tell me, “I will save you.”
4. Make those who want to kill mebe ashamed and disgraced.Make those who plan to harm meturn back and run away.
5. Make them like chaff blown by the windas the angel of the Lord forces them away.
6. Let their road be dark and slipperyas the angel of the Lord chases them.
7. For no reason they spread out their net to trap me;for no reason they dug a pit for me.
8. So let ruin strike them suddenly.Let them be caught in their own nets;let them fall into the pit and die.
9. Then I will rejoice in the Lord;I will be happy when he saves me.
10. Even my bones will say,“Lord, who is like you?You save the weak from the strong,the weak and poor from robbers.”
11. Men without mercy stand up to testify.They ask me things I do not know.
12. They repay me with evil for the good I have done,and they make me very sad.
13. Yet when they were sick, I put on clothes of sadnessand showed my sorrow by fasting.But my prayers were not answered.
14. I acted as if they were my friends or brothers.I bowed in sadness as if I were crying for my mother.
15. But when I was in trouble, they gathered and laughed;they gathered to attack before I knew it.They insulted me without stopping.
16. They made fun of me and were cruel to meand ground their teeth at me in anger.
17. Lord, how long will you watch this happen?Save my life from their attacks;save me from these people who are like lions.
18. I will praise you in the great meeting.I will praise you among crowds of people.
19. Do not let my enemies laugh at me;they hate me for no reason.Do not let them make fun of me;they have no cause to hate me.
20. Their words are not friendlybut are lies about peace-loving people.