Psalms 35
1 BY DAVID. Strive, YHWH, with my strivers, fight with my fighters,
Of David himself. O Lord, judge those who harm me; assail those who attack me.
2 Take hold of shield and buckler, and rise for my help,
Take hold of weapons and a shield, and rise up in assistance to me.
3 And draw out spear and lance, To meet my pursuers. Say to my soul, “I [am] your salvation.”
Bring forth the spear, and close in on those who persecute me. 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 confounded and in awe, who pursue my soul. Let them be turned back and be confounded, who think up evil against me.
5 They are as chaff before wind, And a messenger of YHWH driving away.
May they become like dust before the face of the wind, and let the Angel of the Lord hem them in.
6 Their way is darkness and slipperiness, And a messenger of YHWH—their pursuer.
May their way become dark and slippery, and may the Angel of the Lord pursue them.
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 concealed their snare for me unto destruction. Over nothing, they have rebuked 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 the snare, of which he is ignorant, come upon him, and let the deception, which he has hidden, take hold of him: and may he fall into that very snare.
9 And my soul is joyful in YHWH, It rejoices in His salvation.
But my soul will exult in the Lord and delight over 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?” He rescues the needy from the hand of the stronger one, the indigent and the poor from those who plunder him.
11 Violent witnesses rise up, That which I have not known they ask me.
Unfair witnesses have risen up, interrogating me about things of which I am ignorant.
12 They pay me evil for good, bereaving my soul,
They repaid me evil for good, to the deprivation 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.
But as for me, when they were harassing me, I was clothed with haircloth. I humbled my soul with fasting, and my prayer will become my sinews.
14 As [if] a friend, as [if] my brother, I habitually walked, As a mourner for a mother, I have bowed down mourning.
Like a neighbor, and like our brother, so did I please; like one mourning and contrite, so was I humbled.
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;
And they have been joyful against me, and they joined together. Scourges have been gathered over me, and I was ignorant of it.
16 With profane ones, mockers in feasts, Gnashing their teeth against me.
They have been scattered, yet they were unremorseful. They have tested me. They scoffed at me with scorn. They gnashed their teeth over me.
17 Lord, how long do You behold? Keep my soul back from their desolations, My only one from young lions.
Lord, when will you look down upon me? Restore my soul from before their malice, my only one from before the lions.
18 I thank You in a great assembly, I praise You among a mighty people.
I will confess to you in a great Church. I will praise you among a weighty people.
19 Do not let my enemies rejoice over me [with] falsehood, Those hating me without cause wink the eye.
May those who are my unjust adversaries not be glad over me: those who have hated me without cause, and who nod agreement with their eyes.
20 For they do not speak peace, And against the quiet of the land, They devise deceitful words,
For indeed, they spoke peacefully to me; and speaking with passion to the earth, they intended deceit.
21 And they enlarge their mouth against me, They said, “Aha, aha, our eye has seen.”
And they opened their mouth wide over me. They said, “Well, well, our eyes have seen.”
22 You have seen, O YHWH, Do not be silent, O Lord—do not be far from me,
You have seen, O Lord, do not be silent. Lord, do not depart from me.
23 Stir up, and wake to my judgment, My God, and my Lord, to my plea.
Rise up and be attentive to my judgment, 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.
Judge me according to your justice, O Lord, my God, and 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.”
Do not let them say in their hearts, “Well, well, to our soul.” Neither let them say, “We have devoured 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 them blush and be in awe together, those who congratulate at my misfortunes. Let them be clothed with confusion and awe, who speak great things against me.
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 them exult and rejoice, who wish my justice, and let them ever say, “The Lord be magnified,” who will the peace of his servant.
28 And my tongue utters Your righteousness, All the day Your praise!
And so my tongue will express your justice: your praise all day long.
