Psalms 35
1 Of David himself. O Lord, judge those who harm me; assail those who attack me.
[A Psalm] of David. Strive, O Jehovah, with them that strive with me; fight against them that fight against me:
2 Take hold of weapons and a shield, and rise up in assistance to me.
Take hold of shield and buckler, and stand up for my help;
3 Bring forth the spear, and close in on those who persecute me. 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 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 put to shame and confounded that seek after my life; let them be turned backward and brought to confusion that devise my hurt:
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 as chaff before the wind, and let the angel of Jehovah drive [them] away;
6 May their way become dark and slippery, and may the Angel of the Lord pursue them.
Let their way be dark and slippery, and let the angel of Jehovah pursue them.
7 For, without cause, they have concealed their snare for me unto destruction. Over nothing, they have rebuked 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 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 upon him unawares, and let his net which he hath hidden catch himself: for destruction let him fall therein.
9 But my soul will exult in the Lord and delight over 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?” He rescues the needy from the hand of the stronger one, the indigent and the poor from those who plunder him.
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 Unfair witnesses have risen up, interrogating me about things of which I am ignorant.
Unrighteous witnesses rise up; they lay to my charge things which I know not.
12 They repaid me evil for good, to the deprivation of my soul.
They reward me evil for good, [to] the bereavement of 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 sick, my clothing was sackcloth; I chastened my soul with fasting, and my prayer returned into mine own bosom:
14 Like a neighbor, and like our brother, so did I please; like one mourning and contrite, so was I humbled.
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 And they have been joyful against me, and they joined together. Scourges have been gathered over me, and I was ignorant of it.
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 They have been scattered, yet they were unremorseful. They have tested me. They scoffed at me with scorn. They gnashed their teeth over me.
With profane jesters for bread, they have gnashed their teeth 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 wilt thou look on? Rescue my soul from their destructions, my only one from the young lions.
18 I will confess to you in a great Church. I will praise you among a weighty people.
I will give thee thanks in the great congregation; I will praise thee among much 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.
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 indeed, they spoke peacefully to me; and speaking with passion to the earth, they intended deceit.
For they speak not peace; and they devise deceitful words against the quiet in the land.
21 And they opened their mouth wide over me. They said, “Well, well, our eyes have seen.”
And they opened their mouth wide against me; they said, Aha! aha! our eye hath seen [it].
22 You have seen, O Lord, do not be silent. Lord, do not depart from me.
Thou hast seen [it], Jehovah: keep not silence; O Lord, be not far from me.
23 Rise up and be attentive to my judgment, to my cause, my God and my Lord.
Stir up thyself, and awake for my right, for my cause, my God and Lord!
24 Judge me according to your justice, O Lord, my God, and 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 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 heart, Aha! so would we have it. Let them not say, We have swallowed him up.
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 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 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 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 so my tongue will express your justice: your praise all day long.
And my tongue shall talk of thy righteousness, [and] of thy praise, all the day.
