Psalms 35
1 [A Psalm] of David. Strive, O Jehovah, with them that strive with me; fight against them that fight against me:
A psalm of David. Oppose my opponents, Lord; fight those who are fighting against me.
2 Take hold of shield and buckler, and stand up for my help;
Put your armor on, and pick up your shield. Get ready, come and help me.
3 And draw out the spear, and stop [the way] against my pursuers: say unto my soul, I am thy salvation.
Draw your spear and your javelin, confront those who are chasing me. Tell me, “I am your salvation!”
4 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:
Shame them! Humiliate those who are trying to kill me! Turn them back! Disgrace those who are planning to hurt me!
5 Let them be as chaff before the wind, and let the angel of Jehovah drive [them] away;
Let them be like chaff blown by the wind; let the angel of the Lord drive them away.
6 Let their way be dark and slippery, and let the angel of Jehovah pursue them.
May their path be dark and slippery, with the angel of the Lord chasing them down.
7 For without cause have they hidden for me their net [in] a pit; without cause they have digged [it] for my soul.
For no reason they set a net to catch me; for no reason they dug a pit to trap me.
8 Let destruction come upon him unawares, and let his net which he hath hidden catch himself: for destruction let him fall therein.
Let disaster come on them suddenly; let the net they set catch them instead; let the pit they dug trap them instead.
9 And my soul shall be joyful in Jehovah; it shall rejoice in his salvation.
Then I will be glad in the Lord; I will be happy in his salvation.
10 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!
Every part of me will say, Who can compare to you, Lord? You rescue the weak from the strong; the poor and needy from robbers.
11 Unrighteous witnesses rise up; they lay to my charge things which I know not.
Hostile witnesses stand up to testify against me, accusing me of crimes I don't know anything about.
12 They reward me evil for good, [to] the bereavement of my soul.
They pay me back with evil instead of good. I feel like giving up.
13 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:
But when they were sick, I put on clothes of sackcloth in sympathy. I denied myself through fasting. May my prayer for them return to bless me too.
14 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.
I was upset for them, as if they were my own friends or family; I bowed down in grief as if I was mourning my own mother.
15 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:
But when I was in trouble, they gathered around and laughed at me. Even strangers I don't know attacked me, constantly tearing me apart.
16 With profane jesters for bread, they have gnashed their teeth against me.
Like irreligious people mocking a cripple they mock me and call me names, gnashing their teeth at me.
17 Lord, how long wilt thou look on? Rescue my soul from their destructions, my only one from the young lions.
How long, Lord, will you sit by and just watch? Save me from their vicious attacks; defend the only life I have from these lions.
18 I will give thee thanks in the great congregation; I will praise thee among much people.
Then I will thank you in front of the whole congregation and praise you in front of all the people.
19 Let not them that are wrongfully mine enemies rejoice over me; let them not wink with the eye that hate me without cause.
Don't let my enemies take pleasure in my troubles, those people who hate me and tell lies about me, gloating over me for no reason.
20 For they speak not peace; and they devise deceitful words against the quiet in the land.
They are not looking for peace; they invent malicious and deceptive schemes against innocent peace-loving people.
21 And they opened their mouth wide against me; they said, Aha! aha! our eye hath seen [it].
They open their mouths wide to make accusations against me, saying, “Look! Look! We saw it with our own eyes!”
22 Thou hast seen [it], Jehovah: keep not silence; O Lord, be not far from me.
But Lord, you've seen all this! Say something! Don't give up on me, Lord!
23 Stir up thyself, and awake for my right, for my cause, my God and Lord!
Wake up! Get up and defend me, my Lord and my God! Take up my case and make sure justice is done!
24 Judge me, Jehovah my God, according to thy righteousness, and let them not rejoice over me.
Vindicate me, my Lord and my God, because you are just and right. Don't let them gloat over me.
25 Let them not say in their heart, Aha! so would we have it. Let them not say, We have swallowed him up.
Don't let them say to themselves, “Look! We got what we wanted!” Don't let them say, “We completely destroyed him!”
26 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.
Make them totally ashamed, all those who are happy for the trouble I'm in. Let those who are celebrating over me be covered with shame and dishonor.
27 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.
Instead let those who are pleased I've been vindicated celebrate and shout for joy. Let them always say, “How great is the Lord! He is happy when his servants live in peace and have what they need.”
28 And my tongue shall talk of thy righteousness, [and] of thy praise, all the day.
I will tell others about your character of truth and right, praising you all day long!
