Psalms 35
1 Of David. Contend with my opponents, O LORD; fight against those who fight against me.
[A Psalm] of David. Strive, O Jehovah, with them that strive with me; fight against them that 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.”
And draw out the spear, and stop [the way] against my pursuers: say unto 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 confounded that seek after my life; let them be turned backward and brought to confusion that 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 let the angel of Jehovah drive [them] away;
6 May their path be dark and slick, as the angel of the LORD pursues.
Let their way be dark and slippery, and let the angel of Jehovah pursue them.
7 For without cause they laid their net for me; without reason they dug a pit for my soul.
For without cause have they hidden for me their net [in] a pit; without cause they have digged [it] 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 which he hath hidden catch himself: for destruction let him fall therein.
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 unto thee, who deliverest the afflicted from one stronger than he, yea, the afflicted and the needy from him that spoileth him!
11 Hostile witnesses come forward; they make charges I know nothing about.
Unrighteous witnesses rise up; they lay to my charge things which I know not.
12 They repay me evil for good, to the bereavement of my soul.
They reward me evil for good, [to] the bereavement 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 chastened my soul with fasting, and my prayer returned into mine 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 [he had been] a friend, a brother to me; I bowed down in sadness, as one that mourneth [for] a 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 at my halting they rejoiced, and gathered together: the slanderers gathered themselves together against me, and I knew [it] not; they did tear [me], and ceased not:
16 Like godless jesters at a feast, they gnashed their teeth at me.
With profane jesters for bread, they have gnashed their teeth against me.
17 How long, O Lord, will You look on? Rescue my soul from their ravages, my precious life from these lions.
Lord, how long wilt thou look on? Rescue my soul from their destructions, my only one from the young 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 congregation; 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 them that are wrongfully mine enemies rejoice over me; let them not wink with the eye that hate me without 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; and they devise deceitful words against the quiet in the land.
21 They gape at me and say, “Aha, aha! Our eyes have seen!”
And they opened their mouth wide against me; they said, Aha! aha! our eye hath seen [it].
22 O LORD, You have seen it; be not silent. O Lord, be not far from me.
Thou hast seen [it], 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 for my right, for my cause, my God and Lord!
24 Vindicate me by Your righteousness, O LORD my God, and do not let them gloat over me.
Judge me, 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 ashamed and brought to confusion together that rejoice at mine adversity; let them be clothed with shame and dishonour that 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 exult and rejoice that delight in my righteousness; and let them say continually, Jehovah be magnified, who delighteth 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.
