Psalms 35
1 Of David. Contend with my opponents, O LORD; fight against those who fight against me.
A Psalme of Dauid. Pleade thou my cause, O Lord, with them that striue with me: fight thou against them, that fight against me.
2 Take up Your shield and buckler; arise and come to my aid.
Lay hand vpon the shielde and buckler, and stand vp for mine helpe.
3 Draw the spear and javelin against my pursuers; say to my soul: “I am your salvation.”
Bring out also the speare and stop the way against them, that persecute me: say vnto my soule, I am thy saluation.
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 put to shame, that seeke after my soule: let them be turned backe, and brought to confusion, that imagine mine hurt.
5 May they be like chaff in the wind, as the angel of the LORD drives them away.
Let them be as chaffe before the winde, and let the Angel of the Lord scatter them.
6 May their path be dark and slick, as the angel of the LORD pursues.
Let their way be darke and slipperie: and let the Angel of the Lord persecute them.
7 For without cause they laid their net for me; without reason they dug a pit for my soul.
For without cause they haue hid the pit and their net for me: without cause haue they digged a pit for my soule.
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 vpon him at vnwares, and let his net, that he hath laid priuilie, take him: let him fall into the same destruction.
9 Then my soul will rejoice in the LORD and exult in His salvation.
Then my soule shalbe ioyfull in the Lord: it shall reioyce in his saluation.
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, Lord, who is like vnto thee, which deliuerest the poore from him, that is too strong for him! yea, the poore and him that is in miserie, from him that spoyleth him!
11 Hostile witnesses come forward; they make charges I know nothing about.
Cruell witnesses did rise vp: they asked of me things that I knewe not.
12 They repay me evil for good, to the bereavement of my soul.
They rewarded me euill for good, to haue spoyled my soule.
13 Yet when they were ill, I put on sackcloth; I humbled myself with fasting, but my prayers returned unanswered.
Yet I, when they were sicke, I was clothed with a sacke: I humbled my soule with fasting: and my praier was turned vpon my bosome.
14 I paced about as for my friend or brother; I was bowed down with grief, like one mourning for his mother.
I behaued my selfe as to my friend, or as to my brother: I humbled my selfe, mourning as one that bewaileth 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 mine aduersitie they reioyced, and gathered them selues together: the abiects assembled themselues against me, and knewe not: they tare me and ceased not,
16 Like godless jesters at a feast, they gnashed their teeth at me.
With the false skoffers at bankets, gnashing 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 beholde this? deliuer my soule from their tumult, euen my desolate soule from the lions.
18 Then I will give You thanks in the great assembly; I will praise You among many people.
So will I giue thee thankes in a 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 mine enemies, vniustly reioyce ouer mee, neyther let them winke with the eye, that hate mee 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 speake not as friendes: but they imagine deceitfull woordes against the quiet of the lande.
21 They gape at me and say, “Aha, aha! Our eyes have seen!”
And they gaped on mee with their mouthes, saying, Aha, aha, our eye hath seene.
22 O LORD, You have seen it; be not silent. O Lord, be not far from me.
Thou hast seene it, O Lord: keepe not silence: be not farre from me, O Lord.
23 Awake and rise to my defense, to my cause, my God and my Lord!
Arise and wake to my iudgement, euen 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.
Iudge me, O Lord my God, according to thy righteousnesse, and let them not reioyce ouer mee.
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 hearts, O our soule reioyce: neither let them say, We haue deuoured 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 bee confounded, and put to shame together, that reioyce at mine hurt: let them bee clothed with confusion and shame, that lift vp themselues 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.”
But let them be ioyful and glad, that loue my righteousnesse: yea, let them say alway, Let the Lord be magnified, which loueth the prosperitie of his seruant.
28 Then my tongue will proclaim Your righteousness and Your praises all day long.
And my tongue shall vtter thy righteousnesse, and thy praise euery day.
