Psalms 35
1 “Of David.” Contend, O Lord, with those that contend with me: fight against those that fight against me.
A psalm of David. Oppose my opponents, Lord; fight those who are fighting against me.
2 Take hold of shield and buckler, and rise up for my help.
Put your armor on, and pick up your shield. Get ready, come and help me.
3 And draw out the spear, and step in against my pursuers; say unto my soul, I am thy salvation.
Draw your spear and your javelin, confront those who are chasing me. Tell me, “I am your salvation!”
4 Let those be put to shame and be confounded that seek after my life: let those be turned backward and be made to blush, that devise unhappiness for me.
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 chaff before the wind; and may the angel of the Lord cast them forth.
Let them be like chaff blown by the wind; let the angel of the Lord drive them away.
6 May their way be dark and slippery: and may the angel of the Lord pursue them.
May their path be dark and slippery, with the angel of the Lord chasing them down.
7 For without cause have they hidden for me their net in a pit, without cause have they dug [pit-falls] against my life.
For no reason they set a net to catch me; for no reason they dug a pit to trap me.
8 May then destruction come upon each of them at unawares; and may his net that he hath hidden catch himself: in [utter] destruction let him fall therein.
Let disaster come on them suddenly; let the net they set catch them instead; let the pit they dug trap them instead.
9 But my soul shall exult in the Lord: she shall be glad through his salvation.
Then I will be glad in the Lord; I will be happy in his salvation.
10 All my bones will 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 robbeth 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 There rise up witnesses of violence; concerning what I know not they question me.
Hostile witnesses stand up to testify against me, accusing me of crimes I don't know anything about.
12 They recompense me with evil in place of good, [bringing] bereavement on my soul.
They pay me back with evil instead of good. I feel like giving up.
13 But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth: I afflicted with fasting my soul, and my prayer returned into my own bosom.
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 As though he had been to me a friend or a brother did I walk about: as one that mourneth for a mother did I sorrowfully bend down my head.
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 my downfall they rejoiced, and gathered themselves together; there gathered themselves together against me abject wretches, whom I knew not; they did tear 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 hypocritical babbling mockers, they gnashed upon me with their teeth.
Like irreligious people mocking a cripple they mock me and call me names, gnashing their teeth at me.
17 O Lord, how long wilt thou look on? rescue my soul from their destructions, from the young lions my solitary spirit.
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 I will thank thee in the great assembly: among a mighty people will I praise thee.
Then I will thank you in front of the whole congregation and praise you in front of all the people.
19 Let not rejoice over me those that are my enemies wrongfully: [nor] let those who hate me without cause wink with the eye.
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 speak not peace; but against the quiet in the land they devise deceitful words.
They are not looking for peace; they invent malicious and deceptive schemes against innocent peace-loving people.
21 Yea, they opened wide against me their mouth; they said, Aha, aha, our eye hath seen it.
They open their mouths wide to make accusations against me, saying, “Look! Look! We saw it with our own eyes!”
22 Thou hast seen it, O Lord! remain not silent: O Lord, be not far from me.
But Lord, you've seen all this! Say something! Don't give up on me, Lord!
23 Arouse thyself, and awake to do me justice, my God and my Lord, unto my cause.
Wake up! Get up and defend me, my Lord and my God! Take up my case and make sure justice is done!
24 Judge me according to thy righteousness, O Lord my God; and let them not rejoice over me.
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 heart, Aha, [this is the wish of] our soul: let them not say, We have swallowed him up.
Don't let them say to themselves, “Look! We got what we wanted!” Don't let them say, “We completely destroyed him!”
26 Let those be made ashamed and put to the blush together that rejoice at my mishap; let them be clothed with shame and confusion that magnify themselves above 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 Let those shout, and rejoice, that desire my righteousness: yea, let them say continually, Great is the Lord, who desireth the welfare of his servant.
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 speak of thy righteousness, all the day of thy praise.
I will tell others about your character of truth and right, praising you all day long!
