Psalms 35
1 Of David. Contend with my opponents, O LORD; fight against those who fight against me.
Of David. Contend, Lord, with those who contend with me, do battle with those who do battle with me.
2 Take up Your shield and buckler; arise and come to my aid.
Grasp shield and buckler, and rise up as my help.
3 Draw the spear and javelin against my pursuers; say to my soul: “I am your salvation.”
Draw spear and battle-axe, confront those who pursue me. Assure me that you will help me.
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.
Dishonor and shame be on those who are seeking my life! Defeat and confusion on those who are planning my hurt!
5 May they be like chaff in the wind, as the angel of the LORD drives them away.
As chaff before wind may they be, with the Lord’s angel pursuing them.
6 May their path be dark and slick, as the angel of the LORD pursues.
Slippery and dark be their way, with his angel thrusting them on.
7 For without cause they laid their net for me; without reason they dug a pit for my soul.
For they wantonly hid their net for me, and dug a pit to destroy me.
8 May ruin befall them by surprise; may the net they hid ensnare them; may they fall into the hazard they created.
Upon them may ruin come unawares; may the net which they hid catch themselves, and into the pit may they fall.
9 Then my soul will rejoice in the LORD and exult in His salvation.
Then I will exult in the Lord, and be joyful because of his help;
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?”
and all my being will say, “Who, O Lord, is like you, who save the helpless from those too strong for them, the poor and the helpless from those who despoil them?”
11 Hostile witnesses come forward; they make charges I know nothing about.
Violent witnesses rise, and ask of me things that I know not.
12 They repay me evil for good, to the bereavement of my soul.
Evil for good they requite me, leaving me inwardly comfortless.
13 Yet when they were ill, I put on sackcloth; I humbled myself with fasting, but my prayers returned unanswered.
But when they were sick, I put on sackcloth, and chastened myself with fasting. I prayed with head bowed low,
14 I paced about as for my friend or brother; I was bowed down with grief, like one mourning for his mother.
as if for my friend or my brother. I went about bowed and in mourning, as one who laments 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.
When I stumbled, they gleefully gathered, strangers gathered around me, and tore at me without ceasing,
16 Like godless jesters at a feast, they gnashed their teeth at me.
impiously mocking and mocking, bearing their teeth at me.
17 How long, O Lord, will You look on? Rescue my soul from their ravages, my precious life from these lions.
How long, Lord, will you look on? Rescue me from their roaring, my precious life from the lions.
18 Then I will give You thanks in the great assembly; I will praise You among many people.
I will then give you thanks in the great congregation, and praise you before many people.
19 Let not my enemies gloat over me without cause, nor those who hate me without reason wink in malice.
Suffer not those to rejoice over me who are falsely my foes, suffer not those who without cause abhor me to 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 it is not peace that they speak of those who are quiet in the land; but treacherous charges they plot.
21 They gape at me and say, “Aha, aha! Our eyes have seen!”
With wide open mouths they shout, “Hurrah! Hurrah! With our own eyes we saw it.”
22 O LORD, You have seen it; be not silent. O Lord, be not far from me.
But you have seen, too, O Lord, 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!
Bestir you, awake, for my right my God, my Lord, for my cause.
24 Vindicate me by Your righteousness, O LORD my God, and do not let them gloat over me.
You are just, Lord: win for me justice, 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!”
inwardly saying, “Hurrah! The desire of our hearts at last! Now 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.
Shame and confusion together on those who rejoice at my hurt! Clothed with shame and dishonor be those who are haughty to 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 such as delight in my cause ring out their gladness, and say evermore, “Great is the Lord whose delight is the well-being of his servant.”
28 Then my tongue will proclaim Your righteousness and Your praises all day long.
Then my tongue will tell of your justice, and all the day long of your praise.
