Psalms 35
1 Of David himself. O Lord, judge those who harm me; assail those who attack me.
“A psalm of David.” Contend, O LORD! with them that contend 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.”
Draw forth the spear and the axe against my persecutors; Say to me, “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.
May they be confounded and put to shame, who seek my life; May they be turned back with disgrace, who 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.
May they be like dust before the wind; May the angel of the LORD drive them!
6 May their way become dark and slippery, and may the Angel of the Lord pursue them.
May their way be dark and slippery, And may the angel of the LORD 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 they have laid for me a snare; Without cause they have digged for me a pit.
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.
May unforeseen destruction come upon them! May the snare which they have laid lay hold on themselves, And may they fall into destruction!
9 But my soul will exult in the Lord and delight over his salvation.
Then shall my soul rejoice in the LORD; It shall exult in his protection.
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, Who, O LORD! is like thee, Who dost rescue the afflicted from the oppressor, The afflicted and destitute from the spoiler?
11 Unfair witnesses have risen up, interrogating me about things of which I am ignorant.
False witnesses have risen up; They charge me with that which has not entered my mind.
12 They repaid me evil for good, to the deprivation of my soul.
They repay me evil for good; They cause 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.
And yet I, during their sickness, clothed myself with sackcloth, And afflicted myself with fasting; And my prayer was turned to my 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 if he had been my friend or brother; I bowed down in sadness, as one mourning for his 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 fall they rejoice, and gather themselves together; Revilers whom I know not assemble themselves against me; They tear me without ceasing.
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 base men who mock for their bread, They gnash at me with their teeth.
17 Lord, when will you look down upon me? Restore my soul from before their malice, my only one from before the lions.
How long, O LORD! wilt thou look on? O rescue my life from the destruction they plot for me; My precious life from these young lions!
18 I will confess to you in a great Church. I will praise you among a weighty people.
I will thank thee in the great assembly! Before a numerous people I will praise thee.
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 my enemies wrongfully triumph over me; Let them not wink with the eye, who 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; They devise deceit against them that are quiet in the land.
21 And they opened their mouth wide over me. They said, “Well, well, our eyes have seen.”
Yea, they open their mouths wide against me; They say, “Aha, aha! our eyes seeth it.”
22 You have seen, O Lord, do not be silent. Lord, do not depart from me.
Thou seest it, O LORD! be not silent! O LORD! be not far from me!
23 Rise up and be attentive to my judgment, to my cause, my God and my Lord.
Arouse thyself; awake for my defence! My God and my Lord, awake to my cause!
24 Judge me according to your justice, O Lord, my God, and do not let them be glad over me.
Judge me according to thy righteousness, O Jehovah, my God! Let them not triumph 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, “Aha! we have our wish!” 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.
May they all be confounded and brought to shame, Who rejoice at my calamity! May they be clothed with ignominy and disgrace, Who exalt 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 shout for joy, and be glad, Who favor my righteous cause; Let them ever say, “The LORD be praised, Who delighteth in the prosperity of his servant!”
28 And so my tongue will express your justice: your praise all day long.
So shall my tongue speak of thy righteousness, And daily repeat thy praise.
