Psalms 35
1 Of David. Contend with my opponents, O LORD; fight against those who fight against me.
“Of David.” Contend, O Lord, with those that contend with me: fight against those that fight against me.
2 Take up Your shield and buckler; arise and come to my aid.
Take hold of shield and buckler, and rise 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 step in 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 those be put to shame and be confounded that seek after my life: let those be turned backward and be made to blush, that devise unhappiness for me.
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 may the angel of the Lord cast them forth.
6 May their path be dark and slick, as the angel of the LORD pursues.
May their way be 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 have they hidden for me their net in a pit, without cause have they dug [pit-falls] against my life.
8 May ruin befall them by surprise; may the net they hid ensnare them; may they fall into the hazard they created.
May then destruction come upon each of them at unawares; and may his net that he hath hidden catch himself: in [utter] destruction let him fall therein.
9 Then my soul will rejoice in the LORD and exult in His salvation.
But my soul shall exult in the Lord: she shall be glad through 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 unto thee, who deliverest the poor from him that is too strong for him, yea, the poor and the needy from him that robbeth him?
11 Hostile witnesses come forward; they make charges I know nothing about.
There rise up witnesses of violence; concerning what I know not they question me.
12 They repay me evil for good, to the bereavement of my soul.
They recompense me with evil in place of good, [bringing] bereavement on 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 with fasting my soul, 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.
As though he had been to me a friend or a brother did I walk about: as one that mourneth for a mother did I sorrowfully bend down my head.
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 downfall they rejoiced, and gathered themselves together; there gathered themselves together against me abject wretches, whom I knew not; they did tear me, and ceased not:
16 Like godless jesters at a feast, they gnashed their teeth at me.
With hypocritical babbling mockers, 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.
O Lord, how long wilt thou look on? rescue my soul from their destructions, from the young lions my solitary spirit.
18 Then I will give You thanks in the great assembly; I will praise You among many people.
I will thank thee in the great assembly: among a mighty people will I praise thee.
19 Let not my enemies gloat over me without cause, nor those who hate me without reason wink in malice.
Let not rejoice over me those that are my enemies wrongfully: [nor] let those who hate me without cause wink with the eye.
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 against the quiet in the land they devise deceitful words.
21 They gape at me and say, “Aha, aha! Our eyes have seen!”
Yea, they opened wide against me their mouth; 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, O Lord! remain not silent: O Lord, be not far from me.
23 Awake and rise to my defense, to my cause, my God and my Lord!
Arouse thyself, and awake to do me justice, my God and my Lord, unto my cause.
24 Vindicate me by Your righteousness, O LORD my God, and do not let them gloat over me.
Judge me according to thy righteousness, O Lord my God; 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, [this is the wish of] our soul: 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 those be made ashamed and put to the blush together that rejoice at my mishap; let them be clothed with shame and confusion that magnify themselves above 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 those shout, and rejoice, that desire my righteousness: yea, let them say continually, Great is the Lord, who desireth the welfare of his servant.
28 Then my tongue will proclaim Your righteousness and Your praises all day long.
And my tongue shall speak of thy righteousness, all the day of thy praise.
