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PLead thou my cause, O Lord, with them that strive with me: and fight thou against them that fight against me.
2 Lay hand upon the shield and buckler: and stand up to help me.
3 Bring forth the spear, and stop the way against them
that persecute me: say unto my soul, I am thy salvation.
4 Let them be confounded and put to shame that seek after my soule: let them be turned back, and brought to confusion, that imagine mischief for me.
5 Let them be as the dust before the winde: and the Angel of the Lord scattering them.
6 Let their way be dark and slippery: and let the An∣gell of the Lord persecute them.
7 For they have privily laid their net to destroy me without a cause: yea, even without a cause have they made a pit for my soul.
8 Let a sudden destruction come upon him unawares: and his net that he hath laid privily, catch himselfe: that he may fall into his own mischief.
9 And my soul be joyfull in the Lord: it shall rejoyce in his salvation.
10 All my bones shall say, Lord, who is like unto thee, which deliverest the poor from him that is too strong for him: yea, the poor and him that is in misery, from him that spoileth him?
11 False witnesse did rise up: they laid to my charge things that I knew not.
12 They rewarded me evill for good: to the great discomfort of my soul.
13 Neverthelesse, when they were sick, I put on sack∣cloth, and humbled my soul with fasting: and my prayer shall turn into mine own bosome.
14 I behaved my self as though it had been my friend, or my brother: I went heavily as one that mourneth for his mother.
15 But in mine adversity they rejoyced, and gathered them together: yea, the very abjects came together a∣gainst me unawares, making mowes at me, and cea••ed not.
16 With the flatterers were busie mockers: which gnashed upon me with their teeth.
17 Lord, how long wilt thou look upon this: O deli∣ver
my soul from the calamities which they bring on me, and my darling from the lions.
18 So will I give thee thanks in the great congregati∣on: I will praise thee among much people.
19 O let not them that are mine enemies triumph over me ungodly: neither let them wink with their eyes that hate me without a cause.
20 And why? their communing is not for peace: but they imagine deceitfull words against them that are quiet in the land.
21 They gaped on me with their mouths: and said, Fie on thee, fie on thee, we saw it with our eyes.
22 This thou hast seen, O Lord: hold not thy tongue then, goe not far from me, O Lord.
23 Awake and stand up to judge my quarrell: avenge thou my cause, my God, and my Lord.
24 Judge me, O Lord my God, according to thy righteousnesse: and let them not triumph over me.
25 Let them not say in their hearts, There, there, so would we have it: neither let them say, we have devoured him.
26 Let them be put to confusion and shame together that rejoyce at my trouble: let them be cloathed with rebuke and dishonour that boast themselves against me.
27 Let them be glad and rejoyce that favour my righ∣teous dealing: yea, let them say alway, Blessed be the Lord, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.
28 And as for my tongue it shall be talking of thy righteousnesse: and of thy praise all the day long.
O Lord our God, who art the shield of the oppressed, and the Buckler of all that trust in thee, deliver us from all the assaults and in∣tendments of our enemies against us, who
without cause make pits for our souls: let the Angel of the Lord scatter all their mischievous imaginations, lest they triumph over us, and say, we have devoured them: strive thou with them that strive with us, and fight against them that fight against us. Preserve us in innocency, that we neither sin against thee, nor do inju∣stice to them, and restore us to our Peace, so shall we talk of thy righteousnesse, and thy praise all the day long, and give thee thanks in the great congregation of Saints, because thou hast pleasure in the prosperity of thy servants, and hast redeemed them from the hands of their enemies through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.