Psalms 35
1 A Psalme of Dauid. Pleade thou my cause, O Lord, with them that striue with me: fight thou against them, that fight against me.
A psalm of David. Oppose my opponents, Lord; fight those who are fighting against me.
2 Lay hand vpon the shielde and buckler, and stand vp for mine helpe.
Put your armor on, and pick up your shield. Get ready, come and help me.
3 Bring out also the speare and stop the way against them, that persecute me: say vnto my soule, I am thy saluation.
Draw your spear and your javelin, confront those who are chasing me. Tell me, “I am your salvation!”
4 Let them be confounded and put to shame, that seeke after my soule: let them be turned backe, and brought to confusion, that imagine mine 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 chaffe before the winde, and let the Angel of the Lord scatter them.
Let them be like chaff blown by the wind; let the angel of the Lord drive them away.
6 Let their way be darke and slipperie: and let the Angel of the Lord persecute them.
May their path be dark and slippery, with the angel of the Lord chasing them down.
7 For without cause they haue hid the pit and their net for me: without cause haue they digged a pit for my soule.
For no reason they set a net to catch me; for no reason they dug a pit to trap me.
8 Let destruction come vpon him at vnwares, and let his net, that he hath laid priuilie, take him: let him fall into the same destruction.
Let disaster come on them suddenly; let the net they set catch them instead; let the pit they dug trap them instead.
9 Then my soule shalbe ioyfull in the Lord: it shall reioyce in his saluation.
Then I will be glad in the Lord; I will be happy in his salvation.
10 All my bones shall say, Lord, who is like vnto thee, which deliuerest the poore from him, that is too strong for him! yea, the poore and him that is in miserie, from him that spoyleth 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 Cruell witnesses did rise vp: they asked of me things that I knewe not.
Hostile witnesses stand up to testify against me, accusing me of crimes I don't know anything about.
12 They rewarded me euill for good, to haue spoyled my soule.
They pay me back with evil instead of good. I feel like giving up.
13 Yet I, when they were sicke, I was clothed with a sacke: I humbled my soule with fasting: and my praier was turned vpon my bosome.
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 behaued my selfe as to my friend, or as to my brother: I humbled my selfe, mourning as one that bewaileth his 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 in mine aduersitie they reioyced, and gathered them selues together: the abiects assembled themselues against me, and knewe not: they tare 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 the false skoffers at bankets, gnashing 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 beholde this? deliuer my soule from their tumult, euen my desolate soule from the 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 So will I giue thee thankes in a 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 mine enemies, vniustly reioyce ouer mee, neyther let them winke with the eye, that hate mee without a 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 speake not as friendes: but they imagine deceitfull woordes against the quiet of the lande.
They are not looking for peace; they invent malicious and deceptive schemes against innocent peace-loving people.
21 And they gaped on mee with their mouthes, saying, Aha, aha, our eye hath seene.
They open their mouths wide to make accusations against me, saying, “Look! Look! We saw it with our own eyes!”
22 Thou hast seene it, O Lord: keepe not silence: be not farre from me, O Lord.
But Lord, you've seen all this! Say something! Don't give up on me, Lord!
23 Arise and wake to my iudgement, euen to my cause, my God, and my Lord.
Wake up! Get up and defend me, my Lord and my God! Take up my case and make sure justice is done!
24 Iudge me, O Lord my God, according to thy righteousnesse, and let them not reioyce ouer mee.
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 hearts, O our soule reioyce: neither let them say, We haue deuoured him.
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 bee confounded, and put to shame together, that reioyce at mine hurt: let them bee clothed with confusion and shame, that lift vp themselues 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 But let them be ioyful and glad, that loue my righteousnesse: yea, let them say alway, Let the Lord be magnified, which loueth the prosperitie of his seruant.
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 vtter thy righteousnesse, and thy praise euery day.
I will tell others about your character of truth and right, praising you all day long!
