When Kindness Gets Repaid with Cruelty.

לְדָוִ֨ד׀ רִיבָ֣ה יְ֭הוָה אֶת־יְרִיבַ֑י לְ֝חַ֗ם אֶת־לֹֽחֲמָֽי׃

Contend, O Lord , with those who contend with me; fight against those who fight against me!

הַחֲזֵ֣ק מָגֵ֣ן וְצִנָּ֑ה וְ֝ק֗וּמָה בְּעֶזְרָתִֽי׃

[2] Take hold of shield and buckler and rise for my help!

וְהָ֘רֵ֤ק חֲנִ֣ית וּ֭סְגֹר לִקְרַ֣את רֹדְפָ֑י אֱמֹ֥ר לְ֝נַפְשִׁ֗י יְֽשֻׁעָתֵ֥ךְ אָֽנִי׃

[3] 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׃

[4] Let them be put to shame and dishonor who seek after my life! Let them be turned back and disappointed who devise evil against me!

יִֽהְי֗וּ כְּמֹ֥ץ לִפְנֵי־ר֑וּחַ וּמַלְאַ֖ךְ יְהוָ֣ה דּוֹחֶֽה׃

[5] Let them be like chaff before the wind, with the angel of the Lord driving them away!

יְֽהִי־דַרְכָּ֗ם חֹ֥שֶׁךְ וַחֲלַקְלַקּ֑וֹת וּמַלְאַ֥ךְ יְ֝הוָ֗ה רֹדְפָֽם׃

[6] Let their way be dark and slippery, with the angel of the Lord pursuing them!

כִּֽי־חִנָּ֣ם טָֽמְנוּ־לִ֭י שַׁ֣חַת רִשְׁתָּ֑ם חִ֝נָּ֗ם חָפְר֥וּ לְנַפְשִֽׁי׃

[7] For without cause they hid their net for me; without cause they dug a pit for my life.

תְּבוֹאֵ֣הוּ שׁוֹאָה֮ לֹֽא־יֵ֫דָ֥ע וְרִשְׁתּ֣וֹ אֲשֶׁר־טָמַ֣ן תִּלְכְּד֑וֹ בְּ֝שׁוֹאָ֗ה יִפָּל־בָּֽהּ׃

[8] Let 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!

וְ֭נַפְשִׁי תָּגִ֣יל בַּיהוָ֑ה תָּ֝שִׂישׂ בִּישׁוּעָתֽוֹ׃

[9] Then my soul will rejoice in the Lord , exulting in his salvation.

כָּ֥ל עַצְמוֹתַ֨י׀ תֹּאמַרְנָה֮ יְהוָ֗ה מִ֥י כָ֫מ֥וֹךָ מַצִּ֣יל עָ֭נִי מֵחָזָ֣ק מִמֶּ֑נּוּ וְעָנִ֥י וְ֝אֶבְי֗וֹן מִגֹּזְלֽוֹ׃

[10] All 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?”

יְ֭קוּמוּן עֵדֵ֣י חָמָ֑ס אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹא־יָ֝דַ֗עְתִּי יִשְׁאָלֽוּנִי׃

[11] Malicious witnesses rise up; they ask me of things that I do not know.

יְשַׁלְּמ֣וּנִי רָ֭עָה תַּ֥חַת טוֹבָ֗ה שְׁכ֣וֹל לְנַפְשִֽׁי׃

[12] They repay me evil for good; my soul is bereft.

וַאֲנִ֤י׀ בַּחֲלוֹתָ֡ם לְב֬וּשִׁי שָׂ֗ק עִנֵּ֣יתִי בַצּ֣וֹם נַפְשִׁ֑י וּ֝תְפִלָּתִ֗י עַל־חֵיקִ֥י תָשֽׁוּב׃

[13] But I, when they were sick— I wore sackcloth; I afflicted myself with fasting; I prayed with head bowed on my chest.

כְּרֵֽעַ־כְּאָ֣ח לִ֭י הִתְהַלָּ֑כְתִּי כַּאֲבֶל־אֵ֝֗ם קֹדֵ֥ר שַׁחֽוֹתִי׃

[14] I went about as though I grieved for my friend or my brother; as one who laments his mother, I bowed down in mourning.

וּבְצַלְעִי֮ שָׂמְח֪וּ וְֽנֶאֱ֫סָ֥פוּ נֶאֶסְפ֬וּ עָלַ֣י נֵ֭כִים וְלֹ֣א יָדַ֑עְתִּי קָֽרְע֥וּ וְלֹא־דָֽמּוּ׃

[15] But at my stumbling they rejoiced and gathered; they gathered together against me; wretches whom I did not know tore at me without ceasing;

בְּ֭חַנְפֵי לַעֲגֵ֣י מָע֑וֹג חָרֹ֖ק עָלַ֣י שִׁנֵּֽימוֹ׃

[16] like profane mockers at a feast, they gnash at me with their teeth.

אֲדֹנָי֮ כַּמָּ֪ה תִּ֫רְאֶ֥ה הָשִׁ֣יבָה נַ֭פְשִׁי מִשֹּׁאֵיהֶ֑ם מִ֝כְּפִירִ֗ים יְחִידָתִֽי׃

[17] How long, O Lord, will you look on? Rescue me from their destruction, my precious life from the lions!

א֭וֹדְךָ בְּקָהָ֣ל רָ֑ב בְּעַ֖ם עָצ֣וּם אֲהַֽלְלֶֽךָּ׃

[18] I will thank you in the great congregation; in the mighty throng I will praise you.

אַֽל־יִשְׂמְחוּ־לִ֣י אֹיְבַ֣י שֶׁ֑קֶר שֹׂנְאַ֥י חִ֝נָּ֗ם יִקְרְצוּ־עָֽיִן׃

[19] Let not those rejoice over me who are wrongfully my foes, and let not those wink the eye who hate me without cause.

כִּ֤י לֹ֥א שָׁל֗וֹם יְדַ֫בֵּ֥רוּ וְעַ֥ל רִגְעֵי־אֶ֑רֶץ דִּבְרֵ֥י מִ֝רְמוֹת יַחֲשֹׁבֽוּן׃

[20] For they do not speak peace, but against those who are quiet in the land they devise words of deceit.

וַיַּרְחִ֥יבוּ עָלַ֗י פִּ֫יהֶ֥ם אָ֭מְרוּ הֶאָ֣ח׀ הֶאָ֑ח רָאֲתָ֥ה עֵינֵֽינוּ׃

[21] They open wide their mouths against me; they say, “Aha, Aha! Our eyes have seen it!”

רָאִ֣יתָה יְ֭הוָה אַֽל־תֶּחֱרַ֑שׁ אֲ֝דֹנָ֗י אֲל־תִּרְחַ֥ק מִמֶּֽנִּי׃

[22] You have seen, O Lord ; be not silent! O Lord, be not far from me!

הָעִ֣ירָה וְ֭הָקִיצָה לְמִשְׁפָּטִ֑י אֱלֹהַ֖י וַֽאדֹנָ֣י לְרִיבִֽי׃

[23] Awake and rouse yourself for my vindication, for my cause, my God and my Lord!

שָׁפְטֵ֣נִי כְ֭צִדְקְךָ יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהָ֗י וְאַל־יִשְׂמְחוּ־לִֽי׃

[24] Vindicate me, O Lord , my God, according to your righteousness, and let them not rejoice over me!

אַל־יֹאמְר֣וּ בְ֭לִבָּם הֶאָ֣ח נַפְשֵׁ֑נוּ אַל־יֹ֝אמְר֗וּ בִּֽלַּעֲנֽוּהוּ׃

[25] Let them not say in their hearts, “Aha, our heart's desire!” Let them not say, “We have swallowed him up.”

יֵ֘בֹ֤שׁוּ וְיַחְפְּר֨וּ׀ יַחְדָּו֮ שְׂמֵחֵ֪י רָעָ֫תִ֥י יִֽלְבְּשׁוּ־בֹ֥שֶׁת וּכְלִמָּ֑ה הַֽמַּגְדִּילִ֥ים עָלָֽי׃

[26] Let 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!

יָרֹ֣נּוּ וְיִשְׂמְחוּ֮ חֲפֵצֵ֪י צִ֫דְקִ֥י וְיֹאמְר֣וּ תָ֭מִיד יִגְדַּ֣ל יְהוָ֑ה הֶ֝חָפֵ֗ץ שְׁל֣וֹם עַבְדּֽוֹ׃

[27] Let 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!”

וּ֭לְשׁוֹנִי תֶּהְגֶּ֣ה צִדְקֶ֑ךָ כָּל־הַ֝יּוֹם תְּהִלָּתֶֽךָ׃

[28] Then my tongue shall tell of your righteousness and of your praise all the day long.