Psalms 35
1 BY DAVID. Strive, YHWH, with my strivers, fight with my fighters,
By David. Contend, LORD, with those who contend with me. Fight against those who 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.”
Brandish the spear and block those who pursue me. Tell 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 those who seek after my soul be disappointed and brought to dishonour. Let those who plot my ruin be turned back and confounded.
5 They are as chaff before wind, And a messenger of YHWH driving away.
Let them be as chaff before the wind, the LORD’s angel driving them on.
6 Their way is darkness and slipperiness, And a messenger of YHWH—their pursuer.
Let their way be dark and slippery, the LORD’s angel 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 they have hidden their net in a pit for me. Without cause they have dug a pit 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 on him unawares. Let his net that he has hidden catch himself. Let him fall into that destruction.
9 And my soul is joyful in YHWH, It rejoices in His salvation.
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 you, who delivers the poor from him who is too strong for him; yes, the poor and the needy from him who robs him?”
11 Violent witnesses rise up, That which I have not known they ask me.
Unrighteous witnesses rise up. They ask me about things that I don’t know about.
12 They pay me evil for good, bereaving my soul,
They reward me evil for good, to the bereaving 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 sick, my clothing was sackcloth. I afflicted my soul with fasting. My prayer returned into my 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 behaved myself as though it had been my friend or my brother. I bowed down mourning, as one who mourns 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 in my adversity, they rejoiced, and gathered themselves together. The attackers gathered themselves together against me, and I didn’t know it. They tore at me, and didn’t cease.
16 With profane ones, mockers in feasts, Gnashing their teeth against me.
Like the profane mockers in feasts, they gnashed their teeth at 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 look on? Rescue my soul from their destruction, my precious life from the lions.
18 I thank You in a great assembly, I praise You among a mighty people.
I will give you thanks in the great assembly. I will praise you amongst many people.
19 Do not let my enemies rejoice over me [with] falsehood, Those hating me without cause wink the eye.
Don’t let those who are my enemies wrongfully rejoice over me; neither let those who hate me without a cause wink their eyes.
20 For they do not speak peace, And against the quiet of the land, They devise deceitful words,
For they don’t speak peace, but they devise deceitful words against those who are quiet in the land.
21 And they enlarge their mouth against me, They said, “Aha, aha, our eye has seen.”
Yes, they opened their mouth wide against me. They said, “Aha! Aha! Our eye has seen it!”
22 You have seen, O YHWH, Do not be silent, O Lord—do not be far from me,
You have seen it, LORD. Don’t keep silent. Lord, don’t be far from me.
23 Stir up, and wake to my judgment, My God, and my Lord, to my plea.
Wake up! Rise up to defend me, my God! My Lord, contend for me!
24 Judge me according to Your righteousness, O YHWH my God, And they do not rejoice over me.
Vindicate me, LORD my God, according to your righteousness. Don’t let them gloat over me.
25 They do not say in their heart, “Aha, our desire.” They do not say, “We swallowed him up.”
Don’t let them say in their heart, “Aha! That’s the way we want it!” Don’t let them 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 disappointed and confounded together who rejoice at my calamity. Let them be clothed with shame and dishonour who 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 those who favour my righteous cause shout for joy and be glad. Yes, let them say continually, “May The LORD be magnified, who has pleasure in the prosperity of his servant!”
28 And my tongue utters Your righteousness, All the day Your praise!
My tongue shall talk about your righteousness and about your praise all day long.
