Psalms 35
1 BY DAVID. Strive, YHWH, with my strivers, fight with my fighters,
“A psalm of David.” Contend, O LORD! with them that contend 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 stand up for my help!
3 And draw out spear and lance, To meet my pursuers. Say to my soul, “I [am] your salvation.”
Draw forth the spear and the axe against my persecutors; Say to me, “I am thy salvation.”
4 They are ashamed and blush, those seeking my soul, Turned backward and confounded, Those devising my evil.
May they be confounded and put to shame, who seek my life; May they be turned back with disgrace, who devise my hurt!
5 They are as chaff before wind, And a messenger of YHWH driving away.
May they be like dust before the wind; May the angel of the LORD drive them!
6 Their way is darkness and slipperiness, And a messenger of YHWH—their pursuer.
May their way be 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 laid for me a snare; Without cause they have digged for me a pit.
8 Desolation meets him—he does not know, And his net that he hid catches him, He falls into it for desolation.
May unforeseen destruction come upon them! May the snare which they have laid lay hold on themselves, And may they fall into destruction!
9 And my soul is joyful in YHWH, It rejoices in His salvation.
Then shall my soul rejoice in the LORD; It shall exult in his protection.
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, Who, O LORD! is like thee, Who dost rescue the afflicted from the oppressor, The afflicted and destitute from the spoiler?
11 Violent witnesses rise up, That which I have not known they ask me.
False witnesses have risen up; They charge me with that which has not entered my mind.
12 They pay me evil for good, bereaving my soul,
They repay me evil for good; They cause bereavement 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.
And yet I, during their sickness, clothed myself with sackcloth, And afflicted myself with fasting; And my prayer was turned to my 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 behaved myself as if he had been my friend or brother; I bowed down in sadness, as 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 at my fall they rejoice, and gather themselves together; Revilers whom I know not assemble themselves against me; They tear me without ceasing.
16 With profane ones, mockers in feasts, Gnashing their teeth against me.
With base men who mock for their bread, 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.
How long, O LORD! wilt thou look on? O rescue my life from the destruction they plot for me; My precious life from these young lions!
18 I thank You in a great assembly, I praise You among a mighty people.
I will thank thee in the great assembly! Before a numerous people I will praise thee.
19 Do not let my enemies rejoice over me [with] falsehood, Those hating me without cause wink the eye.
Let not them that are my enemies wrongfully triumph over me; Let them not wink with the eye, who hate me without cause!
20 For they do not speak peace, And against the quiet of the land, They devise deceitful words,
For they speak not peace; They devise deceit 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 mouths wide against me; They say, “Aha, aha! our eyes seeth it.”
22 You have seen, O YHWH, Do not be silent, O Lord—do not be far from me,
Thou seest it, O LORD! 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.
Arouse thyself; awake for my defence! My God and my Lord, awake to my cause!
24 Judge me according to Your righteousness, O YHWH my God, And they do not rejoice over me.
Judge me according to thy righteousness, O Jehovah, my God! Let them not triumph 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! we have our wish!” 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 they all be confounded and brought to shame, Who rejoice at my calamity! May they be clothed with ignominy and disgrace, Who exalt 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, Who favor my righteous cause; Let them ever say, “The LORD be praised, Who delighteth in the prosperity of his servant!”
28 And my tongue utters Your righteousness, All the day Your praise!
So shall my tongue speak of thy righteousness, And daily repeat thy praise.
