< Psalms 35 >

1 [A Psalm] of David. Strive, O Jehovah, with them that strive with me; fight against them that fight against me:
BY DAVID. Strive, YHWH, with my strivers, fight with my fighters,
2 Take hold of shield and buckler, and stand up for my help;
Take hold of shield and buckler, and rise for my help,
3 And draw out the spear, and stop [the way] against my pursuers: say unto my soul, I am thy salvation.
And draw out spear and lance, To meet my pursuers. Say to my soul, “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:
They are ashamed and blush, those seeking my soul, Turned backward and confounded, Those devising my evil.
5 Let them be as chaff before the wind, and let the angel of Jehovah drive [them] away;
They are as chaff before wind, And a messenger of YHWH driving away.
6 Let their way be dark and slippery, and let the angel of Jehovah pursue them.
Their way is darkness and slipperiness, And a messenger of YHWH—their pursuer.
7 For without cause have they hidden for me their net [in] a pit; without cause they have digged [it] for my soul.
For without cause they hid their net [in] a pit for me, Without cause they dug for my soul.
8 Let destruction come upon him unawares, and let his net which he hath hidden catch himself: for destruction let him fall therein.
Desolation meets him—he does not know, And his net that he hid catches him, He falls into it for desolation.
9 And my soul shall be joyful in Jehovah; it shall rejoice in his salvation.
And my soul is joyful in YHWH, It rejoices 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!
All my bones say, “YHWH, who is like You, Delivering the poor from the [one] stronger than he, And the poor and needy from his plunderer.”
11 Unrighteous witnesses rise up; they lay to my charge things which I know not.
Violent witnesses rise up, That which I have not known they ask me.
12 They reward me evil for good, [to] the bereavement of my soul.
They pay me evil for good, bereaving my soul,
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:
And I—in their sickness my clothing [is] sackcloth, I have humbled my soul with fastings, And my prayer returns to my bosom.
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.
As [if] a friend, as [if] my brother, I habitually walked, As a mourner for a mother, I have bowed down mourning.
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:
And they have rejoiced in my halting, And have been gathered together, The strikers were gathered against me, And I have not known, They have torn, and they have not ceased;
16 With profane jesters for bread, they have gnashed their teeth against me.
With profane ones, mockers in feasts, Gnashing their teeth against me.
17 Lord, how long wilt thou look on? Rescue my soul from their destructions, my only one from the young lions.
Lord, how long do You behold? Keep my soul back from their desolations, My only one from young lions.
18 I will give thee thanks in the great congregation; I will praise thee among much people.
I thank You in a great assembly, I praise You among a mighty 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.
Do not let my enemies rejoice over me [with] falsehood, Those hating me without cause wink the eye.
20 For they speak not peace; and they devise deceitful words against the quiet in the land.
For they do not speak peace, And against the quiet of the land, They devise deceitful words,
21 And they opened their mouth wide against me; they said, Aha! aha! our eye hath seen [it].
And they enlarge their mouth against me, They said, “Aha, aha, our eye has seen.”
22 Thou hast seen [it], Jehovah: keep not silence; O Lord, be not far from me.
You have seen, O YHWH, Do not be silent, O Lord—do not be far from me,
23 Stir up thyself, and awake for my right, for my cause, my God and Lord!
Stir up, and wake to my judgment, My God, and my Lord, to my plea.
24 Judge me, Jehovah my God, according to thy righteousness, and let them not rejoice over me.
Judge me according to Your righteousness, O YHWH my God, And they do not rejoice 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.
They do not say in their heart, “Aha, our desire.” They do not say, “We swallowed him up.”
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.
They are ashamed and confounded together, Who are rejoicing at my evil. They put on shame and confusion, Who are magnifying themselves against me.
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.
They sing and rejoice, who are desiring my righteousness, And they continually say, “YHWH is magnified, Who is desiring the peace of His servant.”
28 And my tongue shall talk of thy righteousness, [and] of thy praise, all the day.
And my tongue utters Your righteousness, All the day Your praise!

< Psalms 35 >