Psalms 35
1 Of David. O Lord, be on my side against those who are judging me; be at war with those who make war against me.
[A Psalm] of David. Strive, O Jehovah, with them that strive with me; fight against them that fight against me:
2 Be a breastplate to me, and give me your help.
Take hold of shield and buckler, and stand up for my help;
3 Take up your spear and keep back my attackers; 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 Let them be overcome and put to shame who make attempts to take my soul; let those who would do me damage be turned back and made foolish.
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 Let them be like dust from the grain before the wind; let the angel of the Lord send them in flight.
Let them be as chaff before the wind, and let the angel of Jehovah drive [them] away;
6 Let their way be dark and full of danger; let them be troubled by the angel of the Lord.
Let their way be dark and slippery, and let the angel of Jehovah pursue them.
7 For without cause they have put a net ready for me secretly, in which to take 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 Let destruction come on them without their knowledge; let them be taken themselves in their secret nets, falling into the same destruction.
Let destruction come upon him unawares, and let his net which he hath hidden catch himself: for destruction let him fall therein.
9 And my soul will have joy in the Lord; it will be glad in his salvation.
And my soul shall be joyful in Jehovah; it shall rejoice in his salvation.
10 All my bones will say, Lord, who is like you? The saviour of the poor man from the hands of the strong, of him who is poor and in need from him who takes his goods.
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 False witnesses got up: they put questions to me about crimes of which I had no knowledge.
Unrighteous witnesses rise up; they lay to my charge things which I know not.
12 They gave me back evil for good, troubling my soul.
They reward me evil for good, [to] the bereavement of my soul.
13 But as for me, when they were ill I put on the clothing of sorrow: I went without food and was sad, and my prayer came back again to my heart.
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 My behaviour was as if it had been my friend or my brother: I was bent low in grief like one whose mother is dead.
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 they took pleasure in my trouble, and came together, yes, low persons came together against me without my knowledge; they never came to an end of wounding me.
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 men of deceit they put me to shame; the voice of their wrath was loud against me.
With profane jesters for bread, they have gnashed their teeth against me.
17 Lord, how long will you be looking on? take my soul from their destruction, my life from the lions.
Lord, how long wilt thou look on? Rescue my soul from their destructions, my only one from the young lions.
18 I will give you praise in the great meeting; I will give you honour among a strong people.
I will give thee thanks in the great congregation; I will praise thee among much people.
19 Do not let my haters be glad over me falsely; let not those who are against me without cause make sport of me.
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 say words of peace; in their deceit they are designing evil things against the quiet ones in the land.
For they speak not peace; and they devise deceitful words against the quiet in the land.
21 Their mouths were open wide against me, and they said, Aha, aha, our eyes have seen it.
And they opened their mouth wide against me; they said, Aha! aha! our eye hath seen [it].
22 You have seen this, O Lord; be not unmoved: O Lord, be not far from me.
Thou hast seen [it], Jehovah: keep not silence; O Lord, be not far from me.
23 Be awake, O Lord, be moved to take up my cause, my God and my Lord.
Stir up thyself, and awake for my right, for my cause, my God and Lord!
24 Be my judge, O Lord my God, in your righteousness; do not let them be glad 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, So we will have it: let them not say, We have put an end to him.
Let them not say in their heart, Aha! so would we have it. Let them not say, We have swallowed him up.
26 Let all those who take pleasure in my troubles be shamed and come to nothing: let those who are lifted up against me be covered with shame and have no honour.
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 Let those who are on my side give cries of joy; let them ever say, The Lord be praised, for he has pleasure in the peace of his servant.
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 And my tongue will be talking of your righteousness and of your praise all the day.
And my tongue shall talk of thy righteousness, [and] of thy praise, all the day.
