Psalms 35
1 Plead my cause, O LORD, with them that strive with me: fight against them that fight against me.
Of David. Contend, Lord, with those who contend with me, do battle with those who do battle with me.
2 Take hold of shield and buckler, and stand up for mine help.
Grasp shield and buckler, and rise up as my help.
3 Draw out also the spear, and stop the way against them that persecute me: say unto my soul, I am your salvation.
Draw spear and battle-axe, confront those who pursue me. Assure me that you will help me.
4 Let them be confounded and put to shame that seek after my soul: let them be turned back and brought to confusion that devise my hurt.
Dishonor and shame be on those who are seeking my life! Defeat and confusion on those who are planning my hurt!
5 Let them be as chaff before the wind: and let the angel of the LORD chase them.
As chaff before wind may they be, with the Lord’s angel pursuing them.
6 Let their way be dark and slippery: and let the angel of the LORD persecute them.
Slippery and dark be their way, with his angel thrusting them on.
7 For without cause have they hid for me their net in a pit, which without cause they have dug for my soul.
For they wantonly hid their net for me, and dug a pit to destroy me.
8 Let destruction come upon him at unexpectedly; and let his net that he has hid catch himself: into that very destruction let him fall.
Upon them may ruin come unawares; may the net which they hid catch themselves, and into the pit may they fall.
9 And my soul shall be joyful in the LORD: it shall rejoice in his salvation.
Then I will exult in the Lord, and be joyful because of his help;
10 All my bones shall say, LORD, who is like unto you, which deliver the poor from him that is too strong for him, yea, the poor and the needy from him that spoils him?
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 False witnesses did rise up; they laid to my charge things that I knew not.
Violent witnesses rise, and ask of me things that I know not.
12 They rewarded me evil for good to the spoiling of my soul.
Evil for good they requite me, leaving me inwardly comfortless.
13 But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth: I humbled my soul with fasting; and my prayer returned into mine own bosom.
But when they were sick, I put on sackcloth, and chastened myself with fasting. I prayed with head bowed low,
14 I behaved myself as though he had been my friend or brother: I bowed down heavily, as one that mourns for his mother.
as if for my friend or my brother. I went about bowed and in mourning, as one who laments his mother.
15 But in mine adversity they rejoiced, and gathered themselves together: yea, the outcasts gathered themselves together against me, and I knew it not; they did tear me, and ceased not:
When I stumbled, they gleefully gathered, strangers gathered around me, and tore at me without ceasing,
16 With hypocritical mockers in feasts, they gnashed upon me with their teeth.
impiously mocking and mocking, bearing their teeth at me.
17 Lord, how long will you look on? rescue my soul from their destructions, my darling from the lions.
How long, Lord, will you look on? Rescue me from their roaring, my precious life from the lions.
18 I will give you thanks in the great congregation: I will praise you among much people.
I will then give you thanks in the great congregation, and praise you before many people.
19 Let not them that are mine enemies wrongfully rejoice over me: neither let them wink with the eye that hate me without a cause.
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 For they speak not peace: but they devise deceitful matters against them that are quiet in the land.
For it is not peace that they speak of those who are quiet in the land; but treacherous charges they plot.
21 Yea, they opened their mouth wide against me, and said, Aha, aha, our eye has seen it.
With wide open mouths they shout, “Hurrah! Hurrah! With our own eyes we saw it.”
22 This you have seen, O LORD: keep not silence: O Lord, be not far from me.
But you have seen, too, O Lord, keep not silence, O Lord, be not far from me.
23 Stir up yourself, and awake to my judgment, even unto my cause, my God and my Lord.
Bestir you, awake, for my right my God, my Lord, for my cause.
24 Judge me, O LORD my God, according to your righteousness; and let them not rejoice over me.
You are just, Lord: win for me justice, let them not rejoice over me,
25 Let them not say in their hearts, Ah, so would we have it: let them not say, We have swallowed him up.
inwardly saying, “Hurrah! The desire of our hearts at last! Now we have swallowed him up.”
26 Let them be ashamed and brought to confusion together that rejoice at mine hurt: let them be clothed with shame and dishonour that magnify themselves against me.
Shame and confusion together on those who rejoice at my hurt! Clothed with shame and dishonor be those who are haughty to me!
27 Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the LORD be magnified, which has pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.
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 And my tongue shall speak of your righteousness and of your praise all the day long.
Then my tongue will tell of your justice, and all the day long of your praise.
