Psalms 35
1 Yahweh, fight against those who fight against me! Fight against [my enemies] when they fight me!
A Psalm of David. Strive, O LORD, with them that strive with 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 rise up to 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].
Draw out also the spear, and the battle-axe, against them that pursue me; say unto my soul: 'I am Thy 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 be ashamed and brought to confusion that seek after my soul; let them be turned back and be abashed that devise my 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 chaff before the wind, the angel of the LORD thrusting 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, the angel of the LORD pursuing 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 have they hid for me the pit, even their net, without cause have they digged for 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 destruction come upon him unawares; and let his net that he hath hid catch himself; with destruction let him fall therein.
9 Then I will be joyful about what you, Yahweh, have done for me, I will be glad that you have rescued me.
And my soul shall be joyful in the LORD; it shall rejoice 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: 'LORD, who is like unto Thee, who deliverest the poor from him that is too strong for him, yea, the poor and the needy from him that spoileth him?'
11 People who tell lies stand in court and falsely accuse me of doing things that I do not know [anything] about.
Unrighteous witnesses rise up; they ask me of things that I know 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 repay me evil for good; bereavement is come 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 as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth, I afflicted my soul with fasting; and my prayer, may it return into mine 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 went about as though it had been my friend or my brother; I bowed down mournful, as one that mourneth for 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 when I halt they rejoice, and gather themselves together; the abjects gather themselves together against me, and those whom I know not; they tear me, and cease not;
16 Worthless people ridicule me and snarl at me.
With the profanest mockeries of backbiting they gnash at me with their teeth.
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 look on? Rescue my soul from their destructions, mine only 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 Thee thanks in the great congregation; I will praise Thee among a numerous 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 wrongfully mine enemies rejoice over me; neither let them wink with the eye that hate me 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 speak not peace; but they devise deceitful matters against them that are quiet in the land.
21 They shout at me, to accuse me, saying, “We saw the wrong things that you did!”
Yea, they open their mouth wide against me; they say: 'Aha, aha, our eye hath seen it.'
22 Yahweh, you have seen these things, so do not be silent! Do not stay far from me!
Thou hast seen, O LORD; keep not silence; O Lord, be not far from me.
23 Arise, my God, and plead my case in court, and successfully defend me!
Rouse Thee, and awake to my judgment, even unto 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 my God, according to Thy righteousness; and let them not rejoice over 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 heart: 'Aha, we have our desire'; let them not say: 'We have swallowed him up.'
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 ashamed and abashed together that rejoice at my hurt; let them be clothed with shame and confusion that magnify themselves 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 shout for joy, and be glad, that delight in my righteousness; yea, let them say continually: 'Magnified be the LORD, who delighteth in 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 speak of Thy righteousness, and of Thy praise all the day.
