Psalms 35
1 BY DAVID. Strive, YHWH, with my strivers, fight with my fighters,
Of David. O Lord, be on my side against those who are judging me; be at war with those who make war against me.
2 Take hold of shield and buckler, and rise for my help,
Be a breastplate to me, and give me your help.
3 And draw out spear and lance, To meet my pursuers. Say to my soul, “I [am] your salvation.”
Take up your spear and keep back my attackers; 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.
Let them be overcome and put to shame who make attempts to take my soul; let those who would do me damage be turned back and made foolish.
5 They are as chaff before wind, And a messenger of YHWH driving away.
Let them be like dust from the grain before the wind; let the angel of the Lord send them in flight.
6 Their way is darkness and slipperiness, And a messenger of YHWH—their pursuer.
Let their way be dark and full of danger; let them be troubled by the angel of the Lord.
7 For without cause they hid their net [in] a pit for me, Without cause they dug for my soul.
For without cause they have put a net ready for me secretly, in which to take my soul.
8 Desolation meets him—he does not know, And his net that he hid catches him, He falls into it for desolation.
Let destruction come on them without their knowledge; let them be taken themselves in their secret nets, falling into the same destruction.
9 And my soul is joyful in YHWH, It rejoices in His salvation.
And my soul will have joy in the Lord; it will be glad 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 say, Lord, who is like you? The saviour of the poor man from the hands of the strong, of him who is poor and in need from him who takes his goods.
11 Violent witnesses rise up, That which I have not known they ask me.
False witnesses got up: they put questions to me about crimes of which I had no knowledge.
12 They pay me evil for good, bereaving my soul,
They gave me back evil for good, troubling 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.
But as for me, when they were ill I put on the clothing of sorrow: I went without food and was sad, and my prayer came back again to my heart.
14 As [if] a friend, as [if] my brother, I habitually walked, As a mourner for a mother, I have bowed down mourning.
My behaviour was as if it had been my friend or my brother: I was bent low in grief like one whose mother is dead.
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 they took pleasure in my trouble, and came together, yes, low persons came together against me without my knowledge; they never came to an end of wounding me.
16 With profane ones, mockers in feasts, Gnashing their teeth against me.
Like men of deceit they put me to shame; the voice of their wrath was loud against me.
17 Lord, how long do You behold? Keep my soul back from their desolations, My only one from young lions.
Lord, how long will you be looking on? take my soul from their destruction, my life from the lions.
18 I thank You in a great assembly, I praise You among a mighty people.
I will give you praise in the great meeting; I will give you honour among a strong people.
19 Do not let my enemies rejoice over me [with] falsehood, Those hating me without cause wink the eye.
Do not let my haters be glad over me falsely; let not those who are against me without cause make sport of me.
20 For they do not speak peace, And against the quiet of the land, They devise deceitful words,
For they do not say words of peace; in their deceit they are designing evil things against the quiet ones in the land.
21 And they enlarge their mouth against me, They said, “Aha, aha, our eye has seen.”
Their mouths were open wide against me, and they said, Aha, aha, our eyes have seen it.
22 You have seen, O YHWH, Do not be silent, O Lord—do not be far from me,
You have seen this, O Lord; be not unmoved: O Lord, be not far from me.
23 Stir up, and wake to my judgment, My God, and my Lord, to my plea.
Be awake, O Lord, be moved to take up 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.
Be my judge, O Lord my God, in your righteousness; do not let them be glad 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, So we will have it: let them not say, We have put an end to him.
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.
Let all those who take pleasure in my troubles be shamed and come to nothing: let those who are lifted up against me be covered with shame and have no honour.
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.”
Let those who are on my side give cries of joy; let them ever say, The Lord be praised, for he has pleasure in the peace of his servant.
28 And my tongue utters Your righteousness, All the day Your praise!
And my tongue will be talking of your righteousness and of your praise all the day.
