Psalms 35
1 David’s. Contend, O Yahweh, with them who contend with me, Make war upon them who make war upon me.
Yahweh, fight against those who fight against me! Fight against [my enemies] when they fight me!
2 Grasp buckler and shield, and arise in my help;
Be [like] a shield [DOU] to protect me and come to help me!
3 Then draw the spear, and close up against my pursuers, Say to my soul, Thy salvation, I am!
Lift up your spear [DOU] and [throw it] at those who pursue me! Promise me that you will enable me to defeat [my enemies].
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:
Cause those who are trying to kill me to be defeated and disgraced! Cause those who are planning to do evil things to me to be pushed back and become confused!
5 Let them be as chaff before the wind, with, the messenger of Yahweh, pressing them on:
Send your angel to pursue them, and as a result cause them to disappear like chaff/straw blown away by the wind!
6 Let their way become dark and slippery, with, the messenger of Yahweh, pursuing them.
Cause the path on which they run to be dark and slippery as your angel pursues 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.
Although I did not do anything wrong to them, they concealed a deep pit for me to fall into; they hid a net in which they would catch me.
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!
Cause them to suddenly experience disaster! Cause them to be trapped in their own nets! Cause them to fall into the pits that they have dug for me and disappear!
9 But, my soul, shall exult in Yahweh, —shall be glad in his salvation.
Then I will be joyful about what you, Yahweh, have done for me, I will be glad that you have rescued me.
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.
With my whole inner being [SYN] I will say, “There is no one like Yahweh [RHQ]! No one else can rescue helpless people from powerful people [RHQ]. No one else can rescue weak and needy people from those who want to rob them.”
11 There rise up witnesses helping forward violence and wrong, What I know not, they demand of me:
People who tell lies stand in court and falsely accuse me of doing things that I do not know [anything] about.
12 They repay me evil for good, Bereaving my soul.
In return for my doing good things for them, they do evil things to me, with the result that I feel that I am alone.
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:
When they were ill, I showed that I was sad. I did not eat any food, and I bowed my head as I prayed [for them].
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 mourned and bowed my head as I prayed as though it was a friend or my mother for whom I was grieving.
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 when I had troubles, they were all happy about it. They gathered around to make fun of me. Strangers struck me, and they would not stop.
16 Amidst profane praters of perversion, have they gnashed upon me with their teeth.
Worthless people ridicule me and snarl at me.
17 My Lord! how long wilt thou look on? Bring back my soul out of their raging, from among lions, my solitary self.
Yahweh, how long will you only watch them doing this? Rescue me from their attacking me; Save me from being killed by these men who are attacking me like [MET] lions [that are attacking other animals]
18 I will thank thee, in the midst of a great convocation, —In the midst of a mighty people, will I praise thee.
Then, when many of your people gather, I will praise you and I will thank you in front of all of them.
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 allow my enemies, who tell lies about me, defeat me and then rejoice! Do not allow those who hate me when there in no reason to hate me to (smirk/smile happily)!
20 For, no salvation, will they utter, —But, against the quiet of the land, deceitful things, do they devise;
They do not talk peacefully to people; instead, they seek ways to tell lies about people who are peaceful.
21 Yea they have opened wide against me their mouth, They have said, Aha! Aha! our own eye, hath seen!
They shout at me, to accuse me, saying, “We saw the wrong things that you did!”
22 Thou hast seen, O Yahweh, do not keep silence! O My Lord! be not far from me:
Yahweh, you have seen these things, so do not be silent! Do not stay far from me!
23 Bestir thyself and wake up, to my vindication, O my God and My Lord!—to my plea:
Arise, my God, and plead my case in court, and successfully defend me!
24 Vindicate me according to thy righteousness, O Yahweh, my God! And let them not rejoice over me:
Yahweh, my God, because you are righteous, prove that I am innocent in order that my enemies will not be able to gloat [that I was judged to be guilty].
25 Let them not say in their heart, Aha! to our mind! Let them not say, We have swallowed him up!
Do not allow them to be able to say to themselves, “Yes, we have gotten rid of him [IDM] just like we desired!”
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.
Cause those who rejoice about my misfortunes to be completely defeated and disgraced; cause those who boast that they are much greater than me to be disgraced and dishonored!
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.
But cause those who desire that I be acquitted to be happy and shout joyfully, and cause them to continually say, “Yahweh is great! He is delighted to cause things to go well for those who serve him.”
28 Mine own tongue also, shall softly utter thy righteousness, —All the day long, —thy praise!
Then I will proclaim that you act righteously, and I will praise you all day long.
