Psalms 35

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

[A Psalm] of David. Judge you, O Lord, them that injure 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 arise for my help.

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

Bring forth a sword, and stop [the way] against them that persecute me: 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 that seek my soul be ashamed and confounded: let them that devise evils against me be turned back and put to shame.

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 dust before the wind, and an angel of the Lord afflicting them.

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 an angel of the Lord persecuting them.

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 hid for me their destructive snare: without a cause they have reproached 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 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.

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

But my soul shall exult in the Lord: it shall delight 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, 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.

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

Unjust witnesses arose, and asked me of things I new not.

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

They rewarded me evil for good, and bereavement to 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 I, when they troubled me, put on sackcloth, and humbled my soul with fasting: and my prayer shall return to my [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 agreeably towards them as [if it had been] our neighbor [or] brother: I humbled myself as one mourning and sad of countenance.

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

Yet they rejoiced against me, and plagues were plentifully brought against me, and I knew [it] not: they were scattered, but repented 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.

They tempted me, they sneered at me most contemptuously, they gnashed their teeth upon me.

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

O Lord, when will you look upon me? Deliver my soul from their mischief, mine only-begotten one from the lions.

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

I will give thanks to you even in a great congregation: in an abundant people I will praise you.

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 mine enemies without a cause rejoice against me; who hate me for nothing, and wink with their eyes.

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

For to me they spoke peaceably, but imagined deceits in [their] anger.

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

And they opened wide their mouth upon me; 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 [it], O Lord: keep not silence: O Lord, withdraw not [yourself] from me.

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

Awake, O Lord, and attend to my judgment, [even] to 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.

Judge me, O Lord, according to your righteousness, O Lord my God; and let them not rejoice against 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, Aha, aha, [it is pleasing] to our soul: neither let them say, We have devoured 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 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.

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 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.

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

And my tongue shall meditate on your righteousness, [and] on your praise all the day.