Psalms 35
1 “A psalm of David.” Contend, O LORD! with them that contend with me! Fight against them that fight against me!
Plead my cause, O YHWH, with them that strive with me: fight against them that fight against me.
2 Take hold of shield and buckler, And stand up for my help!
Take hold of shield and buckler, and stand up for mine help.
3 Draw forth the spear and the axe against my persecutors; Say to me, “I am thy salvation.”
Draw out also the spear, and stop the way against them that persecute me: say unto my soul, I am thy salvation.
4 May they be confounded and put to shame, who seek my life; May they be turned back with disgrace, who devise my hurt!
Let them be confounded and put to shame that seek after my soul: let them be turned back and brought to confusion that devise my hurt.
5 May they be like dust before the wind; May the angel of the LORD drive them!
Let them be as chaff before the wind: and let the angel of YHWH chase them.
6 May their way be dark and slippery, And may the angel of the LORD pursue them!
Let their way be dark and slippery: and let the angel of YHWH persecute them.
7 For without cause they have laid for me a snare; Without cause they have digged for me a pit.
For without cause have they hid for me their net in a pit, which without cause they have digged for my soul.
8 May unforeseen destruction come upon them! May the snare which they have laid lay hold on themselves, And may they fall into destruction!
Let destruction come upon him at unawares; and let his net that he hath hid catch himself: into that very destruction let him fall.
9 Then shall my soul rejoice in the LORD; It shall exult in his protection.
And my soul shall be joyful in YHWH: it shall rejoice in his salvation.
10 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?
All my bones shall say, YHWH, who is like unto thee, which deliverest the poor from him that is too strong for him, yea, the poor and the needy from him that spoileth him?
11 False witnesses have risen up; They charge me with that which has not entered my mind.
False witnesses did rise up; they laid to my charge things that I knew not.
12 They repay me evil for good; They cause bereavement to my soul.
They rewarded me evil for good to the spoiling of my soul.
13 And yet I, during their sickness, clothed myself with sackcloth, And afflicted myself with fasting; And my prayer was turned to my bosom.
But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth: I humbled my soul with fasting; and my prayer returned into mine own bosom.
14 I behaved myself as if he had been my friend or brother; I bowed down in sadness, as one mourning for his mother.
I behaved myself as though he had been my friend or brother: I bowed down heavily, as one that mourneth for his mother.
15 But at my fall they rejoice, and gather themselves together; Revilers whom I know not assemble themselves against me; They tear me without ceasing.
But in mine adversity they rejoiced, and gathered themselves together: yea, the abjects gathered themselves together against me, and I knew it not; they did tear me, and ceased not:
16 With base men who mock for their bread, They gnash at me with their teeth.
With hypocritical mockers in feasts, they gnashed upon me with their teeth.
17 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!
YHWH, how long wilt thou look on? rescue my soul from their destructions, my darling from the lions.
18 I will thank thee in the great assembly! Before a numerous people I will praise thee.
I will give thee thanks in the great congregation: I will praise thee among much people.
19 Let not them that are my enemies wrongfully triumph over me; Let them not wink with the eye, who hate me without cause!
Let not them that are mine enemies wrongfully rejoice over me: neither let them wink with the eye that hate me without a cause.
20 For they speak not peace; They devise deceit against them that are quiet in the land.
For they speak not peace: but they devise deceitful matters against them that are quiet in the land.
21 Yea, they open their mouths wide against me; They say, “Aha, aha! our eyes seeth it.”
Yea, they opened their mouth wide against me, and said, Aha, aha, our eye hath seen it.
22 Thou seest it, O LORD! be not silent! O LORD! be not far from me!
This thou hast seen, O YHWH: keep not silence: O YHWH, be not far from me.
23 Arouse thyself; awake for my defence! My God and my Lord, awake to my cause!
Stir up thyself, and awake to my judgment, even unto my cause, my Elohim and my Sovereign.
24 Judge me according to thy righteousness, O Jehovah, my God! Let them not triumph over me!
Judge me, O YHWH my Elohim, according to thy righteousness; and let them not rejoice over me.
25 Let them not say in their hearts, “Aha! we have our wish!” Let them not say, “We have swallowed him up!”
Let them not say in their hearts, Ah, so would we have it: let them not say, We have swallowed him up.
26 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!
Let them be ashamed and brought to confusion together that rejoice at mine hurt: let them be clothed with shame and dishonour that magnify themselves against me.
27 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!”
Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let YHWH be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.
28 So shall my tongue speak of thy righteousness, And daily repeat thy praise.
And my tongue shall speak of thy righteousness and of thy praise all the day long.
