Psalms 35
1 [A Psalm] of David. Strive thou, O LORD, with them that strive with me: fight thou against them that fight against me.
A psalm of David. Oppose my opponents, Lord; fight those who are fighting against me.
2 Take hold of shield and buckler, and stand up for mine help.
Put your armor on, and pick up your shield. Get ready, come and help me.
3 Draw out also the spear, and stop the way against them that pursue me: say unto my soul, I am thy salvation.
Draw your spear and your javelin, confront those who are chasing me. Tell me, “I am your salvation!”
4 Let them be ashamed and brought to dishonour that seek after my soul: let them be turned back and confounded that devise my hurt.
Shame them! Humiliate those who are trying to kill me! Turn them back! Disgrace those who are planning to hurt me!
5 Let them be as chaff before the wind, and the angel of the LORD driving [them] on.
Let them be like chaff blown by the wind; let the angel of the Lord drive them away.
6 Let their way be dark and slippery, and the angel of the LORD pursuing them.
May their path be dark and slippery, with the angel of the Lord chasing them down.
7 For without cause have they hid for me their net [in] a pit, without cause have they digged [a pit] for my soul.
For no reason they set a net to catch me; for no reason they dug a pit to trap me.
8 Let destruction come upon him at unawares; and let his net that he hath hid catch himself: with destruction let him fall therein.
Let disaster come on them suddenly; let the net they set catch them instead; let the pit they dug trap them instead.
9 And my soul shall be joyful in the LORD: it shall rejoice in his salvation.
Then I will be glad in the Lord; I will be happy in his salvation.
10 All my bones shall say, LORD, 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?
Every part of me will say, Who can compare to you, Lord? You rescue the weak from the strong; the poor and needy from robbers.
11 Unrighteous witnesses rise up; they ask me of things that I know not.
Hostile witnesses stand up to testify against me, accusing me of crimes I don't know anything about.
12 They reward me evil for good, [to] the bereaving of my soul.
They pay me back with evil instead of good. I feel like giving up.
13 But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth: I afflicted my soul with fasting; and my prayer returned into mine own bosom.
But when they were sick, I put on clothes of sackcloth in sympathy. I denied myself through fasting. May my prayer for them return to bless me too.
14 I behaved myself as though it had been my friend or my brother: I bowed down mourning, as one that bewaileth his mother.
I was upset for them, as if they were my own friends or family; I bowed down in grief as if I was mourning my own mother.
15 But when I halted they rejoiced, and gathered themselves together: the abjects gathered themselves together against me, and I knew [it] not; they did tear me, and ceased not:
But when I was in trouble, they gathered around and laughed at me. Even strangers I don't know attacked me, constantly tearing me apart.
16 Like the profane mockers in feasts, they gnashed upon me with their teeth.
Like irreligious people mocking a cripple they mock me and call me names, gnashing their teeth at me.
17 Lord, how long wilt thou look on? rescue my soul from their destructions, my darling from the lions.
How long, Lord, will you sit by and just watch? Save me from their vicious attacks; defend the only life I have from these lions.
18 I will give thee thanks in the great congregation: I will praise thee among much people.
Then I will thank you in front of the whole congregation and praise you in front of all the people.
19 Let not them that are mine enemies wrongfully rejoice over me: neither let them wink with the eye that hate me without a cause.
Don't let my enemies take pleasure in my troubles, those people who hate me and tell lies about me, gloating over me for no reason.
20 For they speak not peace: but they devise deceitful words against them that are quiet in the land.
They are not looking for peace; they invent malicious and deceptive schemes against innocent peace-loving people.
21 Yea, they opened their mouth wide against me; they said, Aha, aha, our eye hath seen it.
They open their mouths wide to make accusations against me, saying, “Look! Look! We saw it with our own eyes!”
22 Thou hast seen it, O LORD; keep not silence: O Lord, be not far from me.
But Lord, you've seen all this! Say something! Don't give up on me, Lord!
23 Stir up thyself, and awake to my judgment, [even] unto my cause, my God and my Lord.
Wake up! Get up and defend me, my Lord and my God! Take up my case and make sure justice is done!
24 Judge me, O LORD my God, according to thy righteousness; and let them not rejoice over me.
Vindicate me, my Lord and my God, because you are just and right. Don't let them gloat over me.
25 Let them not say in their heart, Aha, so would we have it: let them not say, We have swallowed him up.
Don't let them say to themselves, “Look! We got what we wanted!” Don't let them say, “We completely destroyed him!”
26 Let them be ashamed and confounded together that rejoice at mine hurt: let them be clothed with shame and dishonour that magnify themselves against me.
Make them totally ashamed, all those who are happy for the trouble I'm in. Let those who are celebrating over me be covered with shame and dishonor.
27 Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, The LORD be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.
Instead let those who are pleased I've been vindicated celebrate and shout for joy. Let them always say, “How great is the Lord! He is happy when his servants live in peace and have what they need.”
28 And my tongue shall talk of thy righteousness, [and] of thy praise all the day long.
I will tell others about your character of truth and right, praising you all day long!
