Psalms 35

1 BY DAVID. Strive, YHWH, with my strivers, fight with my fighters,

Of David. Contend with my opponents, O LORD; fight against those who fight against me.

2 Take hold of shield and buckler, and rise for my help,

Take up Your shield and buckler; arise and come to my aid.

3 And draw out spear and lance, To meet my pursuers. Say to my soul, “I [am] your salvation.”

Draw the spear and javelin against my pursuers; say to my soul: “I am your salvation.”

4 They are ashamed and blush, those seeking my soul, Turned backward and confounded, Those devising my evil.

May those who seek my life be disgraced and put to shame; may those who plan to harm me be driven back and confounded.

5 They are as chaff before wind, And a messenger of YHWH driving away.

May they be like chaff in the wind, as the angel of the LORD drives them away.

6 Their way is darkness and slipperiness, And a messenger of YHWH—their pursuer.

May their path be dark and slick, as the angel of the LORD pursues.

7 For without cause they hid their net [in] a pit for me, Without cause they dug for my soul.

For without cause they laid their net for me; without reason they dug a pit for my soul.

8 Desolation meets him—he does not know, And his net that he hid catches him, He falls into it for desolation.

May ruin befall them by surprise; may the net they hid ensnare them; may they fall into the hazard they created.

9 And my soul is joyful in YHWH, It rejoices in His salvation.

Then my soul will rejoice in the LORD and exult in His salvation.

10 All my bones say, “YHWH, who is like You, Delivering the poor from the [one] stronger than he, And the poor and needy from his plunderer.”

All my bones will exclaim, “Who is like You, O LORD, who delivers the afflicted from the aggressor, the poor and needy from the robber?”

11 Violent witnesses rise up, That which I have not known they ask me.

Hostile witnesses come forward; they make charges I know nothing about.

12 They pay me evil for good, bereaving my soul,

They repay me evil for good, to the bereavement of my soul.

13 And I—in their sickness my clothing [is] sackcloth, I have humbled my soul with fastings, And my prayer returns to my bosom.

Yet when they were ill, I put on sackcloth; I humbled myself with fasting, but my prayers returned unanswered.

14 As [if] a friend, as [if] my brother, I habitually walked, As a mourner for a mother, I have bowed down mourning.

I paced about as for my friend or brother; I was bowed down with grief, like one mourning for his mother.

15 And they have rejoiced in my halting, And have been gathered together, The strikers were gathered against me, And I have not known, They have torn, and they have not ceased;

But when I stumbled, they assembled in glee; they gathered together against me. Assailants I did not know slandered me without ceasing.

16 With profane ones, mockers in feasts, Gnashing their teeth against me.

Like godless jesters at a feast, they gnashed their teeth at me.

17 Lord, how long do You behold? Keep my soul back from their desolations, My only one from young lions.

How long, O Lord, will You look on? Rescue my soul from their ravages, my precious life from these lions.

18 I thank You in a great assembly, I praise You among a mighty people.

Then I will give You thanks in the great assembly; I will praise You among many people.

19 Do not let my enemies rejoice over me [with] falsehood, Those hating me without cause wink the eye.

Let not my enemies gloat over me without cause, nor those who hate me without reason wink in malice.

20 For they do not speak peace, And against the quiet of the land, They devise deceitful words,

For they do not speak peace, but they devise deceitful schemes against those who live quietly in the land.

21 And they enlarge their mouth against me, They said, “Aha, aha, our eye has seen.”

They gape at me and say, “Aha, aha! Our eyes have seen!”

22 You have seen, O YHWH, Do not be silent, O Lord—do not be far from me,

O LORD, You have seen it; be not silent. O Lord, be not far from me.

23 Stir up, and wake to my judgment, My God, and my Lord, to my plea.

Awake and rise to my defense, to my cause, my God and my Lord!

24 Judge me according to Your righteousness, O YHWH my God, And they do not rejoice over me.

Vindicate me by Your righteousness, O LORD my God, and do not let them gloat over me.

25 They do not say in their heart, “Aha, our desire.” They do not say, “We swallowed him up.”

Let them not say in their hearts, “Aha, just what we wanted!” Let them not say, “We have swallowed him up!”

26 They are ashamed and confounded together, Who are rejoicing at my evil. They put on shame and confusion, Who are magnifying themselves against me.

May those who gloat in my distress be ashamed and confounded; may those who exalt themselves over me be clothed in shame and reproach.

27 They sing and rejoice, who are desiring my righteousness, And they continually say, “YHWH is magnified, Who is desiring the peace of His servant.”

May those who favor my vindication shout for joy and gladness; may they always say, “Exalted be the LORD who delights in His servant’s well-being.”

28 And my tongue utters Your righteousness, All the day Your praise!

Then my tongue will proclaim Your righteousness and Your praises all day long.