Psalms 35
1 Of David. Contend with my opponents, O LORD; fight against those who fight against me.
Strive thou, O Jehovah, with those who strive with me. Fight thou against those who fight against me.
2 Take up Your shield and buckler; arise and come to my aid.
Take hold of shield and buckler, and stand up for my help.
3 Draw the spear and javelin against my pursuers; say to my soul: “I am your salvation.”
Draw out the spear also, and stop the way against those who pursue me. Say to my soul, I am thy salvation.
4 May those who seek my life be disgraced and put to shame; may those who plan to harm me be driven back and confounded.
Let them be put to shame and brought to dishonor who seek after my soul. Let them be turned back and confounded who devise my hurt.
5 May they be like chaff in the wind, as the angel of the LORD drives them away.
Let them be as chaff before the wind, and the agent of Jehovah driving them on.
6 May their path be dark and slick, as the angel of the LORD pursues.
Let their way be dark and slippery, and the agent of Jehovah pursuing them.
7 For without cause they laid their net for me; without reason they dug a pit for my soul.
For without cause they have hid their net for me in a pit. Without cause they have dug a pit for my soul.
8 May ruin befall them by surprise; may the net they hid ensnare them; may they fall into the hazard they created.
Let destruction come upon him unawares, and let his net that he has hid catch himself. Let him fall in it with destruction.
9 Then my soul will rejoice in the LORD and exult in His salvation.
And my soul shall be joyful in Jehovah. It shall rejoice in his salvation.
10 All my bones will exclaim, “Who is like You, O LORD, who delivers the afflicted from the aggressor, the poor and needy from the robber?”
All my bones shall say, Jehovah, who is like thee, who delivers a poor man from him who is too strong for him, yea, a poor and needy man from him who robs him?
11 Hostile witnesses come forward; they make charges I know nothing about.
Unrighteous witnesses rise up, they ask me of things that I know not.
12 They repay me evil for good, to the bereavement of my soul.
They reward me evil for good, to the bereaving of my soul.
13 Yet when they were ill, I put on sackcloth; I humbled myself with fasting, but my prayers returned unanswered.
But as for me, when they were sick my clothing was sackcloth. I afflicted my soul with fasting, and my prayer returned into my own bosom.
14 I paced about as for my friend or brother; I was bowed down with grief, like one mourning for his mother.
I behaved myself as though it had been my friend or my brother. I bowed down mourning, as he who bewails his mother.
15 But when I stumbled, they assembled in glee; they gathered together against me. Assailants I did not know slandered me without ceasing.
But in my adversity they rejoiced, and gathered themselves together. The wretches gathered themselves together against me, and I knew it not. They tore me, and ceased not.
16 Like godless jesters at a feast, they gnashed their teeth at me.
Like the profane mockers in feasts, they gnashed upon me with their teeth.
17 How long, O Lord, will You look on? Rescue my soul from their ravages, my precious life from these lions.
Lord, how long will thou look on? Rescue my soul from their destructions, my darling from the lions.
18 Then I will give You thanks in the great assembly; I will praise You among many people.
I will give thee thanks in the great assembly. I will praise thee among much people.
19 Let not my enemies gloat over me without cause, nor those who hate me without reason wink in malice.
Let not those who are my enemies wrongfully rejoice over me. Neither let them wink with the eye who hate me without a cause.
20 For they do not speak peace, but they devise deceitful schemes against those who live quietly in the land.
For they speak not peace, but they devise deceitful words against those who are quiet in the land.
21 They gape at me and say, “Aha, aha! Our eyes have seen!”
Yea, they opened their mouth wide against me. They said, Aha, aha, our eye has seen it.
22 O LORD, You have seen it; be not silent. O Lord, be not far from me.
Thou have seen it, O Jehovah. Keep not silence. O Lord, be not far from me.
23 Awake and rise to my defense, to my cause, my God and my Lord!
Stir up thyself, and awake to the justice to me, to my cause, my God and my Lord.
24 Vindicate me by Your righteousness, O LORD my God, and do not let them gloat over me.
Judge me, O Jehovah my God, according to thy righteousness, and let them not rejoice over me.
25 Let them not say in their hearts, “Aha, just what we wanted!” Let them not say, “We have swallowed him up!”
Let them not say in their heart, Aha, so would we have it. Let them not say, We have swallowed him up.
26 May those who gloat in my distress be ashamed and confounded; may those who exalt themselves over me be clothed in shame and reproach.
Let them be put to shame and confounded together who rejoice at my hurt. Let them be clothed with shame and dishonor who magnify themselves against me.
27 May those who favor my vindication shout for joy and gladness; may they always say, “Exalted be the LORD who delights in His servant’s well-being.”
Let them shout for joy, and be glad, who favor my righteous cause. Yea, let them say continually, Jehovah be magnified, who has pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.
28 Then my tongue will proclaim Your righteousness and Your praises all day long.
And my tongue shall talk of thy righteousness and of thy praise all the day long.
