Psalms 35
1 A Psalm of David. Strive, O LORD, with them that strive with me; fight against them that fight against me.
Yahweh, fight against those who fight against me! Fight against [my enemies] when they fight me!
2 Take hold of shield and buckler, and rise up to my help.
Be [like] a shield [DOU] to protect me and come to help me!
3 Draw out also the spear, and the battle-axe, against them that pursue me; say unto my soul: 'I am Thy 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 ashamed and brought to confusion that seek after my soul; let them be turned back and be abashed that devise my hurt.
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 Let them be as chaff before the wind, the angel of the LORD thrusting them.
Send your angel to pursue them, and as a result cause them to disappear like chaff/straw blown away by the wind!
6 Let their way be dark and slippery, the angel of the LORD pursuing them.
Cause the path on which they run to be dark and slippery as your angel pursues them!
7 For without cause have they hid for me the pit, even their net, without cause have they digged for 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 destruction come upon him unawares; and let his net that he hath hid catch himself; with destruction let him fall therein.
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 And my soul shall be joyful in the LORD; it shall rejoice in 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 shall say: 'LORD, who is like unto Thee, who deliverest the poor from him that is too strong for him, yea, the poor and the needy from him that spoileth 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 Unrighteous witnesses rise up; they ask me of things that I know not.
People who tell lies stand in court and falsely accuse me of doing things that I do not know [anything] about.
12 They repay me evil for good; bereavement is come to 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 sick, my clothing was sackcloth, I afflicted my soul with fasting; and my prayer, may it return into mine own bosom.
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 I went about as though it had been my friend or my brother; I bowed down mournful, as one that mourneth for his mother.
I mourned and bowed my head as I prayed as though it was a friend or my mother for whom I was grieving.
15 But when I halt they rejoice, and gather themselves together; the abjects gather themselves together against me, and those whom I know not; they tear me, and cease not;
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 With the profanest mockeries of backbiting they gnash at me with their teeth.
Worthless people ridicule me and snarl at me.
17 Lord, how long wilt Thou look on? Rescue my soul from their destructions, mine only one from 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 give Thee thanks in the great congregation; I will praise Thee among a numerous people.
Then, when many of your people gather, I will praise you and I will thank you in front of all of them.
19 Let not them that are wrongfully mine enemies rejoice over me; neither let them wink with the eye that hate me without a cause.
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 they speak not peace; but they devise deceitful matters against them that are quiet in the land.
They do not talk peacefully to people; instead, they seek ways to tell lies about people who are peaceful.
21 Yea, they open their mouth wide against me; they say: 'Aha, aha, our eye hath seen it.'
They shout at me, to accuse me, saying, “We saw the wrong things that you did!”
22 Thou hast seen, O LORD; keep not silence; O Lord, be not far from me.
Yahweh, you have seen these things, so do not be silent! Do not stay far from me!
23 Rouse Thee, and awake to my judgment, even unto my cause, my God and my Lord.
Arise, my God, and plead my case in court, and successfully defend me!
24 Judge me, O LORD my God, according to Thy righteousness; and let them not rejoice 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 Let them not say in their heart: 'Aha, we have our desire'; let them not say: 'We have swallowed him up.'
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 be ashamed and abashed together that rejoice at my hurt; let them be clothed with shame and confusion that magnify themselves 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 shout for joy, and be glad, that delight in my righteousness; yea, let them say continually: 'Magnified be the LORD, who delighteth in 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 my tongue shall speak of Thy righteousness, and of Thy praise all the day.
Then I will proclaim that you act righteously, and I will praise you all day long.
