A Prayer for Help
1 Oppose those who oppose me, Lord,
and fight those who fight against me!
2 Take your shield and armor
and come to my rescue.
3 Lift up your spear and war ax
against those who pursue me.
Promise that you will save me.
4 May those who try to kill me
be defeated and disgraced!
May those who plot against me
be turned back and confused!
5 May they be like straw blown by the wind
as the angel of the Lord pursues them!
6 May their path be dark and slippery
while the angel of the Lord strikes them down!
7 Without any reason they laid a trap for me
and dug a deep hole to catch me.
8 But destruction will catch them before they know it;
they will be caught in their own trap
and fall to their destruction!
9 Then I will be glad because of the Lord;
I will be happy because he saved me.
10 With all my heart I will say to the Lord,
“There is no one like you.
You protect the weak from the strong,
the poor from the oppressor.”
11 Evil people testify against me
and accuse me of crimes I know nothing about.
12 They pay me back evil for good,
and I sink in despair.
13 But when they were sick, I dressed in mourning;
I deprived myself of food;
I prayed with my head bowed low,
14 as I would pray for a friend or a brother.
I went around bent over in mourning,
as one who mourns for his mother.
15 But when I was in trouble, they were all glad
and gathered around to make fun of me;
strangers beat me
and kept striking me.
16 Like those who would mock a cripple,
they glared at me with hate.
17 How much longer, Lord, will you just look on?
Rescue me from their attacks;
save my life from these lions!
18 Then I will thank you in the assembly of your people;
I will praise you before them all.
19 Don't let my enemies, those liars,
gloat over my defeat.
Don't let those who hate me for no reason
smirk with delight over my sorrow.
20 They do not speak in a friendly way;
instead they invent all kinds of lies about peace-loving people.
21 They accuse me, shouting,
“We saw what you did!”
22 But you, O Lord, have seen this.
So don't be silent, Lord;
don't keep yourself far away!
23 Rouse yourself, O Lord, and defend me;
rise up, my God, and plead my cause.
24 You are righteous, O Lord, so declare me innocent;
don't let my enemies gloat over me.
25 Don't let them say to themselves,
“We are rid of him!
That's just what we wanted!”
26 May those who gloat over my suffering
be completely defeated and confused;
may those who claim to be better than I am
be covered with shame and disgrace.
27 May those who want to see me acquitted
shout for joy and say again and again,
“How great is the Lord!
He is pleased with the success of his servant.”
28 Then I will proclaim your righteousness,
and I will praise you all day long.
Satver vairogu un bruņas, ak, Kungs!
1 Dāvida psalms.
Ej tiesā, Kungs, ar tiem, kas mani tiesā,
karo ar tiem, kas karo pret mani!
2 Cieši tver bruņas un vairogu,
celies palīgā man!
3 Cel šķēpu un pīķi pret maniem vajātājiem,
teic manai dvēselei: esmu tavs glābiņš!
4 Kauns un paļas tiem, kas manu dzīvību meklē!
Lai bēg un mulst kaunā, kas man perina ļaunu!
5 Lai tie top kā pelavas vējā,
Kunga eņģelis lai tos dzen!
6 Lai to ceļš ir tumšs un slidens,
Kunga eņģelis lai tos trenc!
7 Bez iemesla tie man liek tīklu pār bedri,
bez iemesla rok, lai nokautu mani!
8 Lai negaidot nāk pār tiem iznīcība
un tīkls, ko lika, lai pašus tver,
lai iznīcība tur viņus ierauj –
9 tad mana dvēsele gavilēs Kungā,
līksma, ka viņš glābis!
10 Visi mani kauli sauc: Kungs, kurš vēl kā tu
paglābj nabagu no stiprāka rokas
un nabaga cietēju no laupītāja!
11 Ceļas netaisni liecinieki –
ko nezinu, to man prasa,
12 tie atmaksā man labu ar ļaunu –
tie iztukšo manu dvēseli!
13 Bet es – kad tie sirga, es tērpos maisu,
gavēdams sevi vārdzināju,
savu lūgšanu nesu pie sirds,
14 kā par tuvāko, kā par savu brāli,
kā māti apraudot, es staigāju,
sērās tērpies, noliektu galvu!
15 Bet, kad es klupu, tie līksmojās pulkā,
pret mani pulcējās pat neģēļi, ko nepazinu,
plosīja un nelikās mierā,
16 ar neģēļiem un iztapoņām
tie trina zobus pret mani.
17 Kungs, cik ilgi vēl tu noskatīsies?
Glāb manu dvēseli no viņu draudiem,
manu vienīgo – glāb no lauvām!
18 Es godāšu tevi varenā sapulcē,
ļaužu pulkā es slavēšu tevi!
19 Lai nesmej par mani slepenie naidnieki,
kas aplam nīst mani, lai nemiedz aci!
20 Ne mieru tie runā!
Pret lēnprātīgiem viltus nodomus kaļ!
21 Tie pleš pret mani muti,
tie saka: ā, re! Mēs jau zinājām! –
22 Tu to redzēji, Kungs, –
neklusē, Kungs, neesi tālu no manis!
23 Celies jel, mosties, spried man tiesu,
mans Dievs un mans Kungs, ved manu prāvu!
24 Lem man pēc savas taisnības Kungs, mans Dievs,
neļauj tiem līksmot par mani!
25 Neļauj tiem teikt savā sirdī: ā! Gards! –
Neļauj tiem teikt: mēs aprijām viņu! –
26 Kauns un misēklis visiem,
kas par manu nelaimi smej!
Kaunā un negodā tie lai tērpjas,
kas dižojas pret mani!
27 Lai līksmo un gavilē, kas vēl man taisnību,
kas vienmēr saka: liels ir Kungs,
viņam tīk, ka kalpam labi! –
28 Tad mana mēle teiks tavu taisnību,
visu dienu tā teiks tavu slavu.
