Psalms 35
1 David’s. Contend, O Yahweh, with them who contend with me, Make war upon them who make war upon me.
“A psalm of David.” Contend, O LORD! with them that contend with me! Fight against them that fight against me!
2 Grasp buckler and shield, and arise in my help;
Take hold of shield and buckler, And stand up for my help!
3 Then draw the spear, and close up against my pursuers, Say to my soul, Thy salvation, I am!
Draw forth the spear and the axe against my persecutors; Say to me, “I am thy 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:
May they be confounded and put to shame, who seek my life; May they be turned back with disgrace, who devise my hurt!
5 Let them be as chaff before the wind, with, the messenger of Yahweh, pressing them on:
May they be like dust before the wind; May the angel of the LORD drive them!
6 Let their way become dark and slippery, with, the messenger of Yahweh, pursuing them.
May their way be dark and slippery, And may the angel of the LORD pursue them!
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 have laid for me a snare; Without cause they have digged for me a pit.
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!
May unforeseen destruction come upon them! May the snare which they have laid lay hold on themselves, And may they fall into destruction!
9 But, my soul, shall exult in Yahweh, —shall be glad in his salvation.
Then shall my soul rejoice in the LORD; It shall exult in his protection.
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 shall say, Who, O LORD! is like thee, Who dost rescue the afflicted from the oppressor, The afflicted and destitute from the spoiler?
11 There rise up witnesses helping forward violence and wrong, What I know not, they demand of me:
False witnesses have risen up; They charge me with that which has not entered my mind.
12 They repay me evil for good, Bereaving my soul.
They repay me evil for good; They cause bereavement to 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 yet I, during their sickness, clothed myself with sackcloth, And afflicted myself with fasting; And my prayer was turned 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.
I behaved myself as if he had been my friend or brother; I bowed down in sadness, as one mourning for his mother.
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;
But at my fall they rejoice, and gather themselves together; Revilers whom I know not assemble themselves against me; They tear me without ceasing.
16 Amidst profane praters of perversion, have they gnashed upon me with their teeth.
With base men who mock for their bread, They gnash at me with their teeth.
17 My Lord! how long wilt thou look on? Bring back my soul out of their raging, from among lions, my solitary self.
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!
18 I will thank thee, in the midst of a great convocation, —In the midst of a mighty people, will I praise thee.
I will thank thee in the great assembly! Before a numerous people I will praise thee.
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!
Let not them that are my enemies wrongfully triumph over me; Let them not wink with the eye, who hate me without cause!
20 For, no salvation, will they utter, —But, against the quiet of the land, deceitful things, do they devise;
For they speak not peace; They devise deceit against them that are quiet in the land.
21 Yea they have opened wide against me their mouth, They have said, Aha! Aha! our own eye, hath seen!
Yea, they open their mouths wide against me; They say, “Aha, aha! our eyes seeth it.”
22 Thou hast seen, O Yahweh, do not keep silence! O My Lord! be not far from me:
Thou seest it, O LORD! be not silent! O LORD! be not far from me!
23 Bestir thyself and wake up, to my vindication, O my God and My Lord!—to my plea:
Arouse thyself; awake for my defence! My God and my Lord, awake to my cause!
24 Vindicate me according to thy righteousness, O Yahweh, my God! And let them not rejoice over me:
Judge me according to thy righteousness, O Jehovah, my God! Let them not triumph over me!
25 Let them not say in their heart, Aha! to our mind! Let them not say, We have swallowed him up!
Let them not say in their hearts, “Aha! we have our wish!” Let them not say, “We have 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.
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!
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.
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!”
28 Mine own tongue also, shall softly utter thy righteousness, —All the day long, —thy praise!
So shall my tongue speak of thy righteousness, And daily repeat thy praise.
