Psalms 35

1 Of David himself. O Lord, judge those who harm me; assail those who attack me.

Of David. O Lord, be on my side against those who are judging me; be at war with those who make war against me.

2 Take hold of weapons and a shield, and rise up in assistance to me.

Be a breastplate to me, and give me your help.

3 Bring forth the spear, and close in on those who persecute me. Say to my soul, “I am your salvation.”

Take up your spear and keep back my attackers; say to my soul, I am your salvation.

4 Let them be confounded and in awe, who pursue my soul. Let them be turned back and be confounded, who think up evil against me.

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.

5 May they become like dust before the face of the wind, and let the Angel of the Lord hem them in.

Let them be like dust from the grain before the wind; let the angel of the Lord send them in flight.

6 May their way become dark and slippery, and may the Angel of the Lord pursue them.

Let their way be dark and full of danger; let them be troubled by the angel of the Lord.

7 For, without cause, they have concealed their snare for me unto destruction. Over nothing, they have rebuked my soul.

For without cause they have put a net ready for me secretly, in which to take my soul.

8 Let the snare, of which he is ignorant, come upon him, and let the deception, which he has hidden, take hold of him: and may he fall into that very snare.

Let destruction come on them without their knowledge; let them be taken themselves in their secret nets, falling into the same destruction.

9 But my soul will exult in the Lord and delight over his salvation.

And my soul will have joy in the Lord; it will be glad in his salvation.

10 All my bones will say, “Lord, who is like you?” He rescues the needy from the hand of the stronger one, the indigent and the poor from those who plunder him.

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.

11 Unfair witnesses have risen up, interrogating me about things of which I am ignorant.

False witnesses got up: they put questions to me about crimes of which I had no knowledge.

12 They repaid me evil for good, to the deprivation of my soul.

They gave me back evil for good, troubling my soul.

13 But as for me, when they were harassing me, I was clothed with haircloth. I humbled my soul with fasting, and my prayer will become my sinews.

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.

14 Like a neighbor, and like our brother, so did I please; like one mourning and contrite, so was I humbled.

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.

15 And they have been joyful against me, and they joined together. Scourges have been gathered over me, and I was ignorant of it.

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.

16 They have been scattered, yet they were unremorseful. They have tested me. They scoffed at me with scorn. They gnashed their teeth over me.

Like men of deceit they put me to shame; the voice of their wrath was loud against me.

17 Lord, when will you look down upon me? Restore my soul from before their malice, my only one from before the lions.

Lord, how long will you be looking on? take my soul from their destruction, my life from the lions.

18 I will confess to you in a great Church. I will praise you among a weighty people.

I will give you praise in the great meeting; I will give you honour among a strong people.

19 May those who are my unjust adversaries not be glad over me: those who have hated me without cause, and who nod agreement with their eyes.

Do not let my haters be glad over me falsely; let not those who are against me without cause make sport of me.

20 For indeed, they spoke peacefully to me; and speaking with passion to the earth, they intended deceit.

For they do not say words of peace; in their deceit they are designing evil things against the quiet ones in the land.

21 And they opened their mouth wide over me. They said, “Well, well, our eyes have seen.”

Their mouths were open wide against me, and they said, Aha, aha, our eyes have seen it.

22 You have seen, O Lord, do not be silent. Lord, do not depart from me.

You have seen this, O Lord; be not unmoved: O Lord, be not far from me.

23 Rise up and be attentive to my judgment, to my cause, my God and my Lord.

Be awake, O Lord, be moved to take up my cause, my God and my Lord.

24 Judge me according to your justice, O Lord, my God, and do not let them be glad over me.

Be my judge, O Lord my God, in your righteousness; do not let them be glad over me.

25 Do not let them say in their hearts, “Well, well, to our soul.” Neither let them say, “We have devoured him.”

Let them not say in their hearts, So we will have it: let them not say, We have put an end to him.

26 Let them blush and be in awe together, those who congratulate at my misfortunes. Let them be clothed with confusion and awe, who speak great things against me.

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.

27 Let them exult and rejoice, who wish my justice, and let them ever say, “The Lord be magnified,” who will the peace of his servant.

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.

28 And so my tongue will express your justice: your praise all day long.

And my tongue will be talking of your righteousness and of your praise all the day.