Psalms 35
1 [A Psalm] of David. Judge you, O Lord, them that injure me, fight against them that fight against me.
A psalm of David. Oppose my opponents, Lord; fight those who are fighting against me.
2 Take hold of shield and buckler, and arise for my help.
Put your armor on, and pick up your shield. Get ready, come and help me.
3 Bring forth a sword, and stop [the way] against them that persecute me: say to my soul, I am your salvation.
Draw your spear and your javelin, confront those who are chasing me. Tell me, “I am your salvation!”
4 Let them that seek my soul be ashamed and confounded: let them that devise evils against me be turned back and put to shame.
Shame them! Humiliate those who are trying to kill me! Turn them back! Disgrace those who are planning to hurt me!
5 Let them be as dust before the wind, and an angel of the Lord afflicting them.
Let them be like chaff blown by the wind; let the angel of the Lord drive them away.
6 Let their way be dark and slippery, and an angel of the Lord persecuting them.
May their path be dark and slippery, with the angel of the Lord chasing them down.
7 For without cause they have hid for me their destructive snare: without a cause they have reproached my soul.
For no reason they set a net to catch me; for no reason they dug a pit to trap me.
8 Let a snare which they know not come upon them; and the gin which they hid take them; and let them fall into the very same snare.
Let disaster come on them suddenly; let the net they set catch them instead; let the pit they dug trap them instead.
9 But my soul shall exult in the Lord: it shall delight in his salvation.
Then I will be glad in the Lord; I will be happy in his salvation.
10 All my bones shall say, O Lord, who is like to you? delivering the poor out of the hand of them that are stronger than he, yes, the poor and needy one from them that spoil him.
Every part of me will say, Who can compare to you, Lord? You rescue the weak from the strong; the poor and needy from robbers.
11 Unjust witnesses arose, and asked me of things I new not.
Hostile witnesses stand up to testify against me, accusing me of crimes I don't know anything about.
12 They rewarded me evil for good, and bereavement to my soul.
They pay me back with evil instead of good. I feel like giving up.
13 But I, when they troubled me, put on sackcloth, and humbled my soul with fasting: and my prayer shall return to my [own] bosom.
But when they were sick, I put on clothes of sackcloth in sympathy. I denied myself through fasting. May my prayer for them return to bless me too.
14 I behaved agreeably towards them as [if it had been] our neighbour [or] brother: I humbled myself as one mourning and sad of countenance.
I was upset for them, as if they were my own friends or family; I bowed down in grief as if I was mourning my own mother.
15 Yet they rejoiced against me, and plagues were plentifully brought against me, and I knew [it] not: they were scattered, but repented not.
But when I was in trouble, they gathered around and laughed at me. Even strangers I don't know attacked me, constantly tearing me apart.
16 They tempted me, they sneered at me most contemptuously, they gnashed their teeth upon me.
Like irreligious people mocking a cripple they mock me and call me names, gnashing their teeth at me.
17 O Lord, when will you look upon me? Deliver my soul from their mischief, mine only-begotten one from the lions.
How long, Lord, will you sit by and just watch? Save me from their vicious attacks; defend the only life I have from these lions.
18 I will give thanks to you even in a great congregation: in an abundant people I will praise you.
Then I will thank you in front of the whole congregation and praise you in front of all the people.
19 Let not them that are mine enemies without a cause rejoice against me; who hate me for nothing, and wink with their eyes.
Don't let my enemies take pleasure in my troubles, those people who hate me and tell lies about me, gloating over me for no reason.
20 For to me they spoke peaceably, but imagined deceits in [their] anger.
They are not looking for peace; they invent malicious and deceptive schemes against innocent peace-loving people.
21 And they opened wide their mouth upon me; they said Aha, aha, our eyes have seen [it].
They open their mouths wide to make accusations against me, saying, “Look! Look! We saw it with our own eyes!”
22 You have seen [it], O Lord: keep not silence: O Lord, withdraw not [yourself] from me.
But Lord, you've seen all this! Say something! Don't give up on me, Lord!
23 Awake, O Lord, and attend to my judgement, [even] to my cause, my God and my Lord.
Wake up! Get up and defend me, my Lord and my God! Take up my case and make sure justice is done!
24 Judge me, O Lord, according to your righteousness, O Lord my God; and let them not rejoice against me.
Vindicate me, my Lord and my God, because you are just and right. Don't let them gloat over me.
25 Let them not say in their hearts, Aha, aha, [it is pleasing] to our soul: neither let them say, We have devoured him.
Don't let them say to themselves, “Look! We got what we wanted!” Don't let them say, “We completely destroyed him!”
26 Let them be confounded and ashamed together that rejoice at my afflictions: let them be clothed with shame and confusion that speak great swelling words against me.
Make them totally ashamed, all those who are happy for the trouble I'm in. Let those who are celebrating over me be covered with shame and dishonor.
27 Let them that rejoice in my righteousness exult and be glad: and let them say continually, The Lord be magnified, who desire the peace of his servant.
Instead let those who are pleased I've been vindicated celebrate and shout for joy. Let them always say, “How great is the Lord! He is happy when his servants live in peace and have what they need.”
28 And my tongue shall meditate on your righteousness, [and] on your praise all the day.
I will tell others about your character of truth and right, praising you all day long!
