< Psalms 35 >
1 Yahweh, fight against those who fight against me! Fight against [my enemies] when they fight me!
A Psalme of Dauid. Pleade thou my cause, O Lord, with them that striue with me: fight thou against them, that fight against me.
2 Be [like] a shield [DOU] to protect me and come to help me!
Lay hand vpon the shielde and buckler, and stand vp for mine helpe.
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 out also the speare and stop the way against them, that persecute me: say vnto my soule, I am thy saluation.
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 be confounded and put to shame, that seeke after my soule: let them be turned backe, and brought to confusion, that imagine mine hurt.
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 chaffe before the winde, and let the Angel of the Lord scatter them.
6 Cause the path on which they run to be dark and slippery as your angel pursues them!
Let their way be darke and slipperie: and let the Angel of the Lord persecute 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 haue hid the pit and their net for me: without cause haue they digged a pit for my soule.
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 destruction come vpon him at vnwares, and let his net, that he hath laid priuilie, take him: let him fall into the same destruction.
9 Then I will be joyful about what you, Yahweh, have done for me, I will be glad that you have rescued me.
Then my soule shalbe ioyfull in the Lord: it shall reioyce in his saluation.
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, Lord, who is like vnto thee, which deliuerest the poore from him, that is too strong for him! yea, the poore and him that is in miserie, from him that spoyleth him!
11 People who tell lies stand in court and falsely accuse me of doing things that I do not know [anything] about.
Cruell witnesses did rise vp: they asked of me things that I knewe 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 euill for good, to haue spoyled my soule.
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].
Yet I, when they were sicke, I was clothed with a sacke: I humbled my soule with fasting: and my praier was turned vpon my bosome.
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 behaued my selfe as to my friend, or as to my brother: I humbled my selfe, mourning as one that bewaileth his mother.
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.
But in mine aduersitie they reioyced, and gathered them selues together: the abiects assembled themselues against me, and knewe not: they tare me and ceased not,
16 Worthless people ridicule me and snarl at me.
With the false skoffers at bankets, gnashing their teeth against 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]
Lord, how long wilt thou beholde this? deliuer my soule from their tumult, euen my desolate soule 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.
So will I giue thee thankes in a great Congregation: I will praise thee among much people.
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, vniustly reioyce ouer mee, neyther let them winke with the eye, that hate mee without a cause.
20 They do not talk peacefully to people; instead, they seek ways to tell lies about people who are peaceful.
For they speake not as friendes: but they imagine deceitfull woordes against the quiet of the lande.
21 They shout at me, to accuse me, saying, “We saw the wrong things that you did!”
And they gaped on mee with their mouthes, saying, Aha, aha, our eye hath seene.
22 Yahweh, you have seen these things, so do not be silent! Do not stay far from me!
Thou hast seene it, O Lord: keepe not silence: be not farre from me, O Lord.
23 Arise, my God, and plead my case in court, and successfully defend me!
Arise and wake to my iudgement, euen 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].
Iudge me, O Lord my God, according to thy righteousnesse, and let them not reioyce ouer mee.
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, O our soule reioyce: neither let them say, We haue deuoured 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 bee confounded, and put to shame together, that reioyce at mine hurt: let them bee clothed with confusion and shame, that lift vp themselues 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.”
But let them be ioyful and glad, that loue my righteousnesse: yea, let them say alway, Let the Lord be magnified, which loueth the prosperitie of his seruant.
28 Then I will proclaim that you act righteously, and I will praise you all day long.
And my tongue shall vtter thy righteousnesse, and thy praise euery day.