Psalms 35
1 Of David. Contend with my opponents, O LORD; fight against those who fight against me.
Of David himself. O Lord, judge those who harm me; assail those who attack me.
2 Take up Your shield and buckler; arise and come to my aid.
Take hold of weapons and a shield, and rise up in assistance to me.
3 Draw the spear and javelin against my pursuers; say to my soul: “I am your salvation.”
Bring forth the spear, and close in on those who persecute me. Say to my soul, “I am your 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 confounded and in awe, who pursue my soul. Let them be turned back and be confounded, who think up evil against me.
5 May they be like chaff in the wind, as the angel of the LORD drives them away.
May they become like dust before the face of the wind, and let the Angel of the Lord hem them in.
6 May their path be dark and slick, as the angel of the LORD pursues.
May their way become dark and slippery, and may the Angel of the Lord pursue 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 concealed their snare for me unto destruction. Over nothing, they have rebuked 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 the snare, of which he is ignorant, come upon him, and let the deception, which he has hidden, take hold of him: and may he fall into that very snare.
9 Then my soul will rejoice in the LORD and exult in His salvation.
But my soul will exult in the Lord and delight over 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 will say, “Lord, who is like you?” He rescues the needy from the hand of the stronger one, the indigent and the poor from those who plunder him.
11 Hostile witnesses come forward; they make charges I know nothing about.
Unfair witnesses have risen up, interrogating me about things of which I am ignorant.
12 They repay me evil for good, to the bereavement of my soul.
They repaid me evil for good, to the deprivation 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 harassing me, I was clothed with haircloth. I humbled my soul with fasting, and my prayer will become my sinews.
14 I paced about as for my friend or brother; I was bowed down with grief, like one mourning for his mother.
Like a neighbor, and like our brother, so did I please; like one mourning and contrite, so was I humbled.
15 But when I stumbled, they assembled in glee; they gathered together against me. Assailants I did not know slandered me without ceasing.
And they have been joyful against me, and they joined together. Scourges have been gathered over me, and I was ignorant of it.
16 Like godless jesters at a feast, they gnashed their teeth at me.
They have been scattered, yet they were unremorseful. They have tested me. They scoffed at me with scorn. They gnashed their teeth over me.
17 How long, O Lord, will You look on? Rescue my soul from their ravages, my precious life from these lions.
Lord, when will you look down upon me? Restore my soul from before their malice, my only one from before the lions.
18 Then I will give You thanks in the great assembly; I will praise You among many people.
I will confess to you in a great Church. I will praise you among a weighty people.
19 Let not my enemies gloat over me without cause, nor those who hate me without reason wink in malice.
May those who are my unjust adversaries not be glad over me: those who have hated me without cause, and who nod agreement with their eyes.
20 For they do not speak peace, but they devise deceitful schemes against those who live quietly in the land.
For indeed, they spoke peacefully to me; and speaking with passion to the earth, they intended deceit.
21 They gape at me and say, “Aha, aha! Our eyes have seen!”
And they opened their mouth wide over me. They said, “Well, well, our eyes have seen.”
22 O LORD, You have seen it; be not silent. O Lord, be not far from me.
You have seen, O Lord, do not be silent. Lord, do not depart from me.
23 Awake and rise to my defense, to my cause, my God and my Lord!
Rise up and be attentive to my judgment, 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 according to your justice, O Lord, my God, and do not let them be glad over me.
25 Let them not say in their hearts, “Aha, just what we wanted!” Let them not say, “We have swallowed him up!”
Do not let them say in their hearts, “Well, well, to our soul.” Neither let them say, “We have devoured him.”
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 blush and be in awe together, those who congratulate at my misfortunes. Let them be clothed with confusion and awe, who speak great things 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 exult and rejoice, who wish my justice, and let them ever say, “The Lord be magnified,” who will the peace of his servant.
28 Then my tongue will proclaim Your righteousness and Your praises all day long.
And so my tongue will express your justice: your praise all day long.
