Psalms 35
1 BY DAVID. Strive, YHWH, with my strivers, fight with my fighters,
Of David. Contend, Lord, with those who contend with me, do battle with those who do battle with me.
2 Take hold of shield and buckler, and rise for my help,
Grasp shield and buckler, and rise up as my help.
3 And draw out spear and lance, To meet my pursuers. Say to my soul, “I [am] your salvation.”
Draw spear and battle-axe, confront those who pursue me. Assure me that you will help me.
4 They are ashamed and blush, those seeking my soul, Turned backward and confounded, Those devising my evil.
Dishonour and shame be on those who are seeking my life! Defeat and confusion on those who are planning my hurt!
5 They are as chaff before wind, And a messenger of YHWH driving away.
As chaff before wind may they be, with the Lord’s angel pursuing them.
6 Their way is darkness and slipperiness, And a messenger of YHWH—their pursuer.
Slippery and dark be their way, with his angel thrusting them on.
7 For without cause they hid their net [in] a pit for me, Without cause they dug for my soul.
For they wantonly hid their net for me, and dug a pit to destroy me.
8 Desolation meets him—he does not know, And his net that he hid catches him, He falls into it for desolation.
Upon them may ruin come unawares; may the net which they hid catch themselves, and into the pit may they fall.
9 And my soul is joyful in YHWH, It rejoices in His salvation.
Then I will exult in the Lord, and be joyful because of his help;
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.”
and all my being will say, ‘Who, O Lord, is like you, who save the helpless from those too strong for them, the poor and the helpless from those who despoil them?’
11 Violent witnesses rise up, That which I have not known they ask me.
Violent witnesses rise, and ask of me things that I know not.
12 They pay me evil for good, bereaving my soul,
Evil for good they requite me, leaving me inwardly comfortless.
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 when they were sick, I put on sackcloth, and chastened myself with fasting. I prayed with head bowed low,
14 As [if] a friend, as [if] my brother, I habitually walked, As a mourner for a mother, I have bowed down mourning.
as if for my friend or my brother. I went about bowed and in mourning, as one who laments 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;
When I stumbled, they gleefully gathered, strangers gathered around me, and tore at me without ceasing,
16 With profane ones, mockers in feasts, Gnashing their teeth against me.
impiously mocking and mocking, bearing 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, Lord, will you look on? Rescue me from their roaring, my precious life from the lions.
18 I thank You in a great assembly, I praise You among a mighty people.
I will then give you thanks in the great congregation, and praise you before many people.
19 Do not let my enemies rejoice over me [with] falsehood, Those hating me without cause wink the eye.
Suffer not those to rejoice over me who are falsely my foes, suffer not those who without cause abhor me to wink with the eye.
20 For they do not speak peace, And against the quiet of the land, They devise deceitful words,
For it is not peace that they speak of those who are quiet in the land; but treacherous charges they plot.
21 And they enlarge their mouth against me, They said, “Aha, aha, our eye has seen.”
With wide open mouths they shout, ‘Hurrah! Hurrah! With our own eyes we saw it.’
22 You have seen, O YHWH, Do not be silent, O Lord—do not be far from me,
But you have seen, too, 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.
Bestir you, awake, for my right my God, my Lord, for my cause.
24 Judge me according to Your righteousness, O YHWH my God, And they do not rejoice over me.
You are just, Lord: win for me justice, 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.”
inwardly saying, ‘Hurrah! The desire of our hearts at last! Now 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.
Shame and confusion together on those who rejoice at my hurt! Clothed with shame and dishonour be those who are haughty to 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 such as delight in my cause ring out their gladness, and say evermore, ‘Great is the Lord whose delight is the well-being of his servant.’
28 And my tongue utters Your righteousness, All the day Your praise!
Then my tongue will tell of your justice, and all the day long of your praise.
