Psalms 35
1 Of David himself. O Lord, judge those who harm me; assail those who attack me.
Yahweh, fight against those who fight against me! Fight against [my enemies] when they fight me!
2 Take hold of weapons and a shield, and rise up in assistance to me.
Be [like] a shield [DOU] to protect me and come to help me!
3 Bring forth the spear, and close in on those who persecute me. Say to my soul, “I am your salvation.”
Lift up your spear [DOU] and [throw it] at those who pursue me! Promise me that you will enable me to defeat [my enemies].
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.
Cause those who are trying to kill me to be defeated and disgraced! Cause those who are planning to do evil things to me to be pushed back and become confused!
5 May they become like dust before the face of the wind, and let the Angel of the Lord hem them in.
Send your angel to pursue them, and as a result cause them to disappear like chaff/straw blown away by the wind!
6 May their way become dark and slippery, and may the Angel of the Lord pursue them.
Cause the path on which they run to be dark and slippery as your angel pursues them!
7 For, without cause, they have concealed their snare for me unto destruction. Over nothing, they have rebuked my soul.
Although I did not do anything wrong to them, they concealed a deep pit for me to fall into; they hid a net in which they would catch me.
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.
Cause them to suddenly experience disaster! Cause them to be trapped in their own nets! Cause them to fall into the pits that they have dug for me and disappear!
9 But my soul will exult in the Lord and delight over his salvation.
Then I will be joyful about what you, Yahweh, have done for me, I will be glad that you have rescued me.
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.
With my whole inner being [SYN] I will say, “There is no one like Yahweh [RHQ]! No one else can rescue helpless people from powerful people [RHQ]. No one else can rescue weak and needy people from those who want to rob them.”
11 Unfair witnesses have risen up, interrogating me about things of which I am ignorant.
People who tell lies stand in court and falsely accuse me of doing things that I do not know [anything] about.
12 They repaid me evil for good, to the deprivation of my soul.
In return for my doing good things for them, they do evil things to me, with the result that I feel that I am alone.
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.
When they were ill, I showed that I was sad. I did not eat any food, and I bowed my head as I prayed [for them].
14 Like a neighbor, and like our brother, so did I please; like one mourning and contrite, so was I humbled.
I mourned and bowed my head as I prayed as though it was a friend or my mother for whom I was grieving.
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 when I had troubles, they were all happy about it. They gathered around to make fun of me. Strangers struck me, and they would not stop.
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.
Worthless people ridicule me and snarl at me.
17 Lord, when will you look down upon me? Restore my soul from before their malice, my only one from before the lions.
Yahweh, how long will you only watch them doing this? Rescue me from their attacking me; Save me from being killed by these men who are attacking me like [MET] lions [that are attacking other animals]
18 I will confess to you in a great Church. I will praise you among a weighty people.
Then, when many of your people gather, I will praise you and I will thank you in front of all of them.
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 allow my enemies, who tell lies about me, defeat me and then rejoice! Do not allow those who hate me when there in no reason to hate me to (smirk/smile happily)!
20 For indeed, they spoke peacefully to me; and speaking with passion to the earth, they intended deceit.
They do not talk peacefully to people; instead, they seek ways to tell lies about people who are peaceful.
21 And they opened their mouth wide over me. They said, “Well, well, our eyes have seen.”
They shout at me, to accuse me, saying, “We saw the wrong things that you did!”
22 You have seen, O Lord, do not be silent. Lord, do not depart from me.
Yahweh, you have seen these things, so do not be silent! Do not stay far from me!
23 Rise up and be attentive to my judgment, to my cause, my God and my Lord.
Arise, my God, and plead my case in court, and successfully defend me!
24 Judge me according to your justice, O Lord, my God, and do not let them be glad over me.
Yahweh, my God, because you are righteous, prove that I am innocent in order that my enemies will not be able to gloat [that I was judged to be guilty].
25 Do not let them say in their hearts, “Well, well, to our soul.” Neither let them say, “We have devoured him.”
Do not allow them to be able to say to themselves, “Yes, we have gotten rid of him [IDM] just like we desired!”
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.
Cause those who rejoice about my misfortunes to be completely defeated and disgraced; cause those who boast that they are much greater than me to be disgraced and dishonored!
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.
But cause those who desire that I be acquitted to be happy and shout joyfully, and cause them to continually say, “Yahweh is great! He is delighted to cause things to go well for those who serve him.”
28 And so my tongue will express your justice: your praise all day long.
Then I will proclaim that you act righteously, and I will praise you all day long.
