Psalms 35
1 David’s. Contend, O Yahweh, with them who contend with me, Make war upon them who make war upon me.
BY DAVID. Strive, YHWH, with my strivers, fight with my fighters,
2 Grasp buckler and shield, and arise in my help;
Take hold of shield and buckler, and rise for my help,
3 Then draw the spear, and close up against my pursuers, Say to my soul, Thy salvation, I am!
And draw out spear and lance, To meet my pursuers. Say to my soul, “I [am] your salvation.”
4 Let them be ashamed and confounded, who are seeking my life, —Let them turn back and be put to the blush, who are devising my hurt:
They are ashamed and blush, those seeking my soul, Turned backward and confounded, Those devising my evil.
5 Let them be as chaff before the wind, with, the messenger of Yahweh, pressing them on:
They are as chaff before wind, And a messenger of YHWH driving away.
6 Let their way become dark and slippery, with, the messenger of Yahweh, pursuing them.
Their way is darkness and slipperiness, And a messenger of YHWH—their pursuer.
7 For, without cause, have they hid for me, in a ditch, their net, —Without cause, have they digged [a pit] for my life.
For without cause they hid their net [in] a pit for me, Without cause they dug for my soul.
8 There shall reach him a ruin he could not know, —Yea, his own net which he hath hidden, shall capture him, Into that ruin, shall he fall!
Desolation meets him—he does not know, And his net that he hid catches him, He falls into it for desolation.
9 But, my soul, shall exult in Yahweh, —shall be glad in his salvation.
And my soul is joyful in YHWH, It rejoices in His salvation.
10 All my bones, shall say—O Yahweh, who is like unto thee? Rescuing the oppressed from one stronger than he, Yea the oppressed and the needy, from their spoiler.
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.”
11 There rise up witnesses helping forward violence and wrong, What I know not, they demand of me:
Violent witnesses rise up, That which I have not known they ask me.
12 They repay me evil for good, Bereaving my soul.
They pay me evil for good, bereaving my soul,
13 But, as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth, I humbled, with fasting, my soul, though, my prayer, unto mine own bosom, might return:
And I—in their sickness my clothing [is] sackcloth, I have humbled my soul with fastings, And my prayer returns to my bosom.
14 Like as for a friend, like as for a brother of mine own, I walked to and fro, As though mourning for a mother, I gloomily bowed myself down.
As [if] a friend, as [if] my brother, I habitually walked, As a mourner for a mother, I have bowed down mourning.
15 But, in mine overthrow, have they rejoiced, and gathered themselves together, —There gathered themselves together against me foolish men, and I knew it not, They have torn in pieces, and not been silent;
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;
16 Amidst profane praters of perversion, have they gnashed upon me with their teeth.
With profane ones, mockers in feasts, Gnashing their teeth against me.
17 My Lord! how long wilt thou look on? Bring back my soul out of their raging, from among lions, my solitary self.
Lord, how long do You behold? Keep my soul back from their desolations, My only one from young lions.
18 I will thank thee, in the midst of a great convocation, —In the midst of a mighty people, will I praise thee.
I thank You in a great assembly, I praise You among a mighty people.
19 Let not them who are falsely my foes rejoice over me, As for them who hate me without cause, let them not wink the eye!
Do not let my enemies rejoice over me [with] falsehood, Those hating me without cause wink the eye.
20 For, no salvation, will they utter, —But, against the quiet of the land, deceitful things, do they devise;
For they do not speak peace, And against the quiet of the land, They devise deceitful words,
21 Yea they have opened wide against me their mouth, They have said, Aha! Aha! our own eye, hath seen!
And they enlarge their mouth against me, They said, “Aha, aha, our eye has seen.”
22 Thou hast seen, O Yahweh, do not keep silence! O My Lord! be not far from me:
You have seen, O YHWH, Do not be silent, O Lord—do not be far from me,
23 Bestir thyself and wake up, to my vindication, O my God and My Lord!—to my plea:
Stir up, and wake to my judgment, My God, and my Lord, to my plea.
24 Vindicate me according to thy righteousness, O Yahweh, my God! And let them not rejoice over me:
Judge me according to Your righteousness, O YHWH my God, And they do not rejoice over me.
25 Let them not say in their heart, Aha! to our mind! Let them not say, We have swallowed him up!
They do not say in their heart, “Aha, our desire.” They do not say, “We swallowed him up.”
26 Let them turn pale, and then at once blush, who are rejoicing at my misfortune, —Let them be clothed with shame and confusion, who are magnifying themselves against me.
They are ashamed and confounded together, Who are rejoicing at my evil. They put on shame and confusion, Who are magnifying themselves against me.
27 Let them shout in triumph and rejoice, who are desiring my justification; And let them say continually, Yahweh be magnified, Who hath taken pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.
They sing and rejoice, who are desiring my righteousness, And they continually say, “YHWH is magnified, Who is desiring the peace of His servant.”
28 Mine own tongue also, shall softly utter thy righteousness, —All the day long, —thy praise!
And my tongue utters Your righteousness, All the day Your praise!
