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 dziesma. Ej tiesā, Kungs, ar tiem, kas ar mani tiesājas, karo ar tiem, kas ar mani karo! 2 Satver vairogu un bruņas un celies palīdzēt man! 3 Pacel šķēpu un sargā mani pret tiem, kas mani vajā! Saki manai dvēselei:"Es esmu tavs palīgs!" 4 Lai paliek kaunā un apsmieklā, kas tīko pēc manas dzīvības, lai atkāpjas un nosarkst tie, kas nodomājuši man ļaunu! 5 Lai viņi ir kā pelavas vējā, kad Tā Kunga eņģelis viņus izklīdina! 6 Viņu ceļš lai ir tumšs un slidens, kad Tā Kunga eņģelis viņus vajā, 7 jo bez vainas viņi slepeni izliek pret mani tīklu, bez pamata viņi rok bedri manai dvēselei. 8 Lai neparedzēti posts nāk pār ikvienu no viņiem, un lai viņa tīkls, ko viņš slepeni izlicis, sagūsta viņu pašu un lai viņš iekrīt pats savā bedrē. 9 Tad mana sirds priecāsies par To Kungu un līksmos par Viņa palīdzību. 10 Visi mani locekļi sacīs: "Kungs, kas ir tāds kā Tu? Tu izglāb grūtdieni no varenā un nabagu no tā, kas viņu aplaupa." 11 Viltus liecinieki ceļas, viņi izprašņā mani par lietām, ko es nezinu. 12 Viņi man atmaksā labu ar ļaunu, manu dvēseli viņi pamet vienu! 13 Lai gan, kad viņi bija neveseli, es apvilku sēru drēbes un mērdēju sevi ar gavēšanu. Es no sirds aizlūdzu par viņiem 14 kā par draugiem un brāļiem. Es staigāju kā tāds, kas apraud savu māti, satriekts, noliektu galvu un tērpies sēru drēbēs. 15 Bet nu, kad es pakritu, viņi priecājas un pulcējas kopā, un pulcējas pret mani arī ļaudis, kurus es nepazīstu, un nemitas mani nievāt. 16 Ar viltīgiem smējējiem un kumosu lišķiem viņi griež pret mani zobus. 17 Kungs, cik ilgi Tu tā noskatīsies? Izglāb manu dvēseli no rējējiem un manu dzīvību no jauniem lauvām! 18 Tad es Tev pateikšos lielā draudzē, ļaužu pulkā es Tevi slavēšu. 19 Lai viltīgie ienaidnieki vairs nepriecājas par mani, vairs nemirkšķina ar acīm, mani bez jebkāda pamata nīzdami, 20 jo ne jau mieru viņi vēl klusajiem šinī zemē. Viņu vārdi ir viltus pilni. 21 Kad viņi pret mani atpleš muti, viņi saka: "Tiešām, tam mēs esam aculiecinieki!" 22 Kungs, Tu to redzi, neciet klusu! Kungs, nenovērsies no manis! 23 Mosties un celies, gādādams man taisnību, Kungs mans Dievs, ved manu lietu! 24 Turi tiesu pār mani pēc Tavas taisnības, Kungs mans Dievs, lai viņi nelīksmo par mani! 25 Neļauj viņiem viņu sirdīs sacīt: "Labi! Tas mums pa prātam, mēs esam viņu aprijuši!" 26 Kaut kaunā kristu un nosarktu visi, kas priecājas par manu nelaimi! Lai kauns un negods apklāj tos, kas lielās pret mani! 27 Bet lai gavilē un priecājas, kam patīk mana taisnība, un saka vienmēr: "Liels ir Tas Kungs, kam prieks par Sava kalpa labklājību!" 28 Tādēļ mana mēle lai pauž Tavu taisnību un Tavu slavu vienumēr!
