Psalms 35

1 Yahweh, fight against those who fight against me! Fight against [my enemies] when they fight me!

[A Psalm] of David. Judge you, O Lord, them that injure me, fight against them that fight against me.

2 Be [like] a shield [DOU] to protect me and come to help me!

Take hold of shield and buckler, and arise for my help.

3 Lift up your spear [DOU] and [throw it] at those who pursue me! Promise me that you will enable me to defeat [my enemies].

Bring forth a sword, and stop [the way] against them that persecute me: say to my soul, I am your salvation.

4 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!

Let them that seek my soul be ashamed and confounded: let them that devise evils against me be turned back and put to shame.

5 Send your angel to pursue them, and as a result cause them to disappear like chaff/straw blown away by the wind!

Let them be as dust before the wind, and an angel of the Lord afflicting them.

6 Cause the path on which they run to be dark and slippery as your angel pursues them!

Let their way be dark and slippery, and an angel of the Lord persecuting them.

7 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.

For without cause they have hid for me their destructive snare: without a cause they have reproached my soul.

8 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!

Let a snare which they know not come upon them; and the gin which they hid take them; and let them fall into the very same snare.

9 Then I will be joyful about what you, Yahweh, have done for me, I will be glad that you have rescued me.

But my soul shall exult in the Lord: it shall delight in his salvation.

10 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.”

All my bones shall say, O Lord, who is like to you? delivering the poor out of the hand of them that are stronger than he, yes, the poor and needy one from them that spoil him.

11 People who tell lies stand in court and falsely accuse me of doing things that I do not know [anything] about.

Unjust witnesses arose, and asked me of things I new not.

12 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.

They rewarded me evil for good, and bereavement to my soul.

13 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].

But I, when they troubled me, put on sackcloth, and humbled my soul with fasting: and my prayer shall return to my [own] bosom.

14 I mourned and bowed my head as I prayed as though it was a friend or my mother for whom I was grieving.

I behaved agreeably towards them as [if it had been] our neighbour [or] brother: I humbled myself as one mourning and sad of countenance.

15 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.

Yet they rejoiced against me, and plagues were plentifully brought against me, and I knew [it] not: they were scattered, but repented not.

16 Worthless people ridicule me and snarl at me.

They tempted me, they sneered at me most contemptuously, they gnashed their teeth upon me.

17 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]

O Lord, when will you look upon me? Deliver my soul from their mischief, mine only-begotten one from the lions.

18 Then, when many of your people gather, I will praise you and I will thank you in front of all of them.

I will give thanks to you even in a great congregation: in an abundant people I will praise you.

19 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)!

Let not them that are mine enemies without a cause rejoice against me; who hate me for nothing, and wink with their eyes.

20 They do not talk peacefully to people; instead, they seek ways to tell lies about people who are peaceful.

For to me they spoke peaceably, but imagined deceits in [their] anger.

21 They shout at me, to accuse me, saying, “We saw the wrong things that you did!”

And they opened wide their mouth upon me; they said Aha, aha, our eyes have seen [it].

22 Yahweh, you have seen these things, so do not be silent! Do not stay far from me!

You have seen [it], O Lord: keep not silence: O Lord, withdraw not [yourself] from me.

23 Arise, my God, and plead my case in court, and successfully defend me!

Awake, O Lord, and attend to my judgement, [even] to my cause, my God and my Lord.

24 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].

Judge me, O Lord, according to your righteousness, O Lord my God; and let them not rejoice against me.

25 Do not allow them to be able to say to themselves, “Yes, we have gotten rid of him [IDM] just like we desired!”

Let them not say in their hearts, Aha, aha, [it is pleasing] to our soul: neither let them say, We have devoured him.

26 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!

Let them be confounded and ashamed together that rejoice at my afflictions: let them be clothed with shame and confusion that speak great swelling words against me.

27 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.”

Let them that rejoice in my righteousness exult and be glad: and let them say continually, The Lord be magnified, who desire the peace of his servant.

28 Then I will proclaim that you act righteously, and I will praise you all day long.

And my tongue shall meditate on your righteousness, [and] on your praise all the day.