Psalms 35

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

A Psalm of David. Strive, O LORD, with them that strive with me; fight against them that fight against me.

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

Take hold of shield and buckler, and rise up to my help.

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

Draw out also the spear, and the battle-axe, against them that pursue me; say unto my soul: 'I am Thy salvation.'

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

Let them be ashamed and brought to confusion that seek after my soul; let them be turned back and be abashed that devise my hurt.

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

Let them be as chaff before the wind, the angel of the LORD thrusting them.

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

Let their way be dark and slippery, the angel of the LORD pursuing them.

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

For without cause have they hid for me the pit, even their net, without cause have they digged 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.

Let destruction come upon him unawares; and let his net that he hath hid catch himself; with destruction let him fall therein.

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

And my soul shall be joyful in the LORD; it shall rejoice 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 shall 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 spoileth him?'

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

Unrighteous witnesses rise up; they ask me of things that I know not.

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

They repay me evil for good; bereavement is come to 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 sick, my clothing was sackcloth, I afflicted my soul with fasting; and my prayer, may it return into mine own bosom.

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

I went about as though it had been my friend or my brother; I bowed down mournful, as one that mourneth 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 halt they rejoice, and gather themselves together; the abjects gather themselves together against me, and those whom I know not; they tear me, and cease not;

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

With the profanest mockeries of backbiting they gnash at me with their teeth.

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

Lord, how long wilt Thou look on? Rescue my soul from their destructions, mine only one from the lions.

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

I will give Thee thanks in the great congregation; I will praise Thee among a numerous people.

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

Let not them that are wrongfully mine enemies rejoice over me; neither let them wink with the eye that hate me without a cause.

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

For they speak not peace; but they devise deceitful matters against them that are quiet in the land.

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

Yea, they open their mouth wide against me; they say: 'Aha, aha, our eye hath seen it.'

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

Thou hast seen, O LORD; keep not silence; O Lord, be not far from me.

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

Rouse Thee, and awake to my judgment, even unto 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, O LORD my God, according to Thy righteousness; and let them not rejoice 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 heart: 'Aha, we have our desire'; 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.

Let them be ashamed and abashed together that rejoice at my hurt; let them be clothed with shame and confusion that magnify themselves 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 shout for joy, and be glad, that delight in my righteousness; yea, let them say continually: 'Magnified be the LORD, who delighteth in the peace of His servant.'

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

And my tongue shall speak of Thy righteousness, and of Thy praise all the day.