Psalms 35
1 A psalm of David. Oppose my opponents, Lord; fight those who are fighting against me.
Of David. Contend, Lord, with those who contend with me, do battle with those who do battle with me.
2 Put your armor on, and pick up your shield. Get ready, come and help me.
Grasp shield and buckler, and rise up as my help.
3 Draw your spear and your javelin, confront those who are chasing me. Tell me, “I am your salvation!”
Draw spear and battle-axe, confront those who pursue me. Assure me that you will help me.
4 Shame them! Humiliate those who are trying to kill me! Turn them back! Disgrace those who are planning to hurt me!
Dishonour and shame be on those who are seeking my life! Defeat and confusion on those who are planning my hurt!
5 Let them be like chaff blown by the wind; let the angel of the Lord drive them away.
As chaff before wind may they be, with the Lord’s angel pursuing them.
6 May their path be dark and slippery, with the angel of the Lord chasing them down.
Slippery and dark be their way, with his angel thrusting them on.
7 For no reason they set a net to catch me; for no reason they dug a pit to trap me.
For they wantonly hid their net for me, and dug a pit to destroy me.
8 Let disaster come on them suddenly; let the net they set catch them instead; let the pit they dug trap them instead.
Upon them may ruin come unawares; may the net which they hid catch themselves, and into the pit may they fall.
9 Then I will be glad in the Lord; I will be happy in his salvation.
Then I will exult in the Lord, and be joyful because of his help;
10 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.
and all my being will say, ‘Who, O Lord, is like you, who save the helpless from those too strong for them, the poor and the helpless from those who despoil them?’
11 Hostile witnesses stand up to testify against me, accusing me of crimes I don't know anything about.
Violent witnesses rise, and ask of me things that I know not.
12 They pay me back with evil instead of good. I feel like giving up.
Evil for good they requite me, leaving me inwardly comfortless.
13 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.
But when they were sick, I put on sackcloth, and chastened myself with fasting. I prayed with head bowed low,
14 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.
as if for my friend or my brother. I went about bowed and in mourning, as one who laments his mother.
15 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.
When I stumbled, they gleefully gathered, strangers gathered around me, and tore at me without ceasing,
16 Like irreligious people mocking a cripple they mock me and call me names, gnashing their teeth at me.
impiously mocking and mocking, bearing their teeth at me.
17 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.
How long, Lord, will you look on? Rescue me from their roaring, my precious life from the lions.
18 Then I will thank you in front of the whole congregation and praise you in front of all the people.
I will then give you thanks in the great congregation, and praise you before many people.
19 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.
Suffer not those to rejoice over me who are falsely my foes, suffer not those who without cause abhor me to wink with the eye.
20 They are not looking for peace; they invent malicious and deceptive schemes against innocent peace-loving people.
For it is not peace that they speak of those who are quiet in the land; but treacherous charges they plot.
21 They open their mouths wide to make accusations against me, saying, “Look! Look! We saw it with our own eyes!”
With wide open mouths they shout, ‘Hurrah! Hurrah! With our own eyes we saw it.’
22 But Lord, you've seen all this! Say something! Don't give up on me, Lord!
But you have seen, too, O Lord, keep not silence, O Lord, be not far from me.
23 Wake up! Get up and defend me, my Lord and my God! Take up my case and make sure justice is done!
Bestir you, awake, for my right my God, my Lord, for my cause.
24 Vindicate me, my Lord and my God, because you are just and right. Don't let them gloat over me.
You are just, Lord: win for me justice, let them not rejoice over me,
25 Don't let them say to themselves, “Look! We got what we wanted!” Don't let them say, “We completely destroyed him!”
inwardly saying, ‘Hurrah! The desire of our hearts at last! Now we have swallowed him up.’
26 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.
Shame and confusion together on those who rejoice at my hurt! Clothed with shame and dishonour be those who are haughty to me!
27 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.”
Let such as delight in my cause ring out their gladness, and say evermore, ‘Great is the Lord whose delight is the well-being of his servant.’
28 I will tell others about your character of truth and right, praising you all day long!
Then my tongue will tell of your justice, and all the day long of your praise.
