Psalms 35
1 Of David. Contend with my opponents, O LORD; fight against those who fight against me.
BY DAVID. Strive, YHWH, with my strivers, fight with my fighters,
2 Take up Your shield and buckler; arise and come to my aid.
Take hold of shield and buckler, and rise for my help,
3 Draw the spear and javelin against my pursuers; say to my soul: “I am your salvation.”
And draw out spear and lance, To meet my pursuers. 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.
They are ashamed and blush, those seeking my soul, Turned backward and confounded, Those devising my evil.
5 May they be like chaff in the wind, as the angel of the LORD drives them away.
They are as chaff before wind, And a messenger of YHWH driving away.
6 May their path be dark and slick, as the angel of the LORD pursues.
Their way is darkness and slipperiness, And a messenger of YHWH—their pursuer.
7 For without cause they laid their net for me; without reason they dug a pit for my soul.
For without cause they hid their net [in] a pit for me, Without cause they dug 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.
Desolation meets him—he does not know, And his net that he hid catches him, He falls into it for desolation.
9 Then my soul will rejoice in the LORD and exult in His salvation.
And my soul is joyful in YHWH, It rejoices 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 say, “YHWH, who is like You, Delivering the poor from the [one] stronger than he, And the poor and needy from his plunderer.”
11 Hostile witnesses come forward; they make charges I know nothing about.
Violent witnesses rise up, That which I have not known they ask me.
12 They repay me evil for good, to the bereavement of my soul.
They pay me evil for good, bereaving my soul,
13 Yet when they were ill, I put on sackcloth; I humbled myself with fasting, but my prayers returned unanswered.
And I—in their sickness my clothing [is] sackcloth, I have humbled my soul with fastings, And my prayer returns to my bosom.
14 I paced about as for my friend or brother; I was bowed down with grief, like one mourning for his mother.
As [if] a friend, as [if] my brother, I habitually walked, As a mourner for a mother, I have bowed down mourning.
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 rejoiced in my halting, And have been gathered together, The strikers were gathered against me, And I have not known, They have torn, and they have not ceased;
16 Like godless jesters at a feast, they gnashed their teeth at me.
With profane ones, mockers in feasts, 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 do You behold? Keep my soul back from their desolations, My only one from young lions.
18 Then I will give You thanks in the great assembly; I will praise You among many people.
I thank You in a great assembly, I praise You among a mighty people.
19 Let not my enemies gloat over me without cause, nor those who hate me without reason wink in malice.
Do not let my enemies rejoice over me [with] falsehood, Those hating me without cause wink the eye.
20 For they do not speak peace, but they devise deceitful schemes against those who live quietly in the land.
For they do not speak peace, And against the quiet of the land, They devise deceitful words,
21 They gape at me and say, “Aha, aha! Our eyes have seen!”
And they enlarge their mouth against me, They said, “Aha, aha, our eye has seen.”
22 O LORD, You have seen it; be not silent. O Lord, be not far from me.
You have seen, O YHWH, Do not be silent, O Lord—do not be far from me,
23 Awake and rise to my defense, to my cause, my God and my Lord!
Stir up, and wake to my judgment, My God, and my Lord, to my plea.
24 Vindicate me by Your righteousness, O LORD my God, and do not let them gloat over me.
Judge me according to Your righteousness, O YHWH my God, And they do 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!”
They do not say in their heart, “Aha, our desire.” They do not say, “We 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.
They are ashamed and confounded together, Who are rejoicing at my evil. They put on shame and confusion, Who are magnifying 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.”
They sing and rejoice, who are desiring my righteousness, And they continually say, “YHWH is magnified, Who is desiring the peace of His servant.”
28 Then my tongue will proclaim Your righteousness and Your praises all day long.
And my tongue utters Your righteousness, All the day Your praise!
