Psalms 35
1 Yahweh, fight against those who fight against me! Fight against [my enemies] when they fight me!
Of David. Contend, Lord, with those who contend with me, do battle with those who do battle with me.
2 Be [like] a shield [DOU] to protect me and come to help me!
Grasp shield and buckler, and rise up as 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 spear and battle-axe, confront those who pursue me. Assure me that you will help me.
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!
Dishonour and shame be on those who are seeking my life! Defeat and confusion on those who are planning 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!
As chaff before wind may they be, with the Lord’s angel pursuing them.
6 Cause the path on which they run to be dark and slippery as your angel pursues them!
Slippery and dark be their way, with his angel thrusting them on.
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 they wantonly hid their net for me, and dug a pit to destroy me.
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!
Upon them may ruin come unawares; may the net which they hid catch themselves, and into the pit may they fall.
9 Then I will be joyful about what you, Yahweh, have done for me, I will be glad that you have rescued me.
Then I will exult in the Lord, and be joyful because of his help;
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.”
and all my being will say, ‘Who, O Lord, is like you, who save the helpless from those too strong for them, the poor and the helpless from those who despoil them?’
11 People who tell lies stand in court and falsely accuse me of doing things that I do not know [anything] about.
Violent witnesses rise, and ask of me 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.
Evil for good they requite me, leaving me inwardly comfortless.
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 when they were sick, I put on sackcloth, and chastened myself with fasting. I prayed with head bowed low,
14 I mourned and bowed my head as I prayed as though it was a friend or my mother for whom I was grieving.
as if for my friend or my brother. I went about bowed and in mourning, as one who laments 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.
When I stumbled, they gleefully gathered, strangers gathered around me, and tore at me without ceasing,
16 Worthless people ridicule me and snarl at me.
impiously mocking and mocking, bearing their teeth at 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]
How long, Lord, will you look on? Rescue me from their roaring, my precious life 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 then give you thanks in the great congregation, and praise you before many 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)!
Suffer not those to rejoice over me who are falsely my foes, suffer not those who without cause abhor me to wink with the eye.
20 They do not talk peacefully to people; instead, they seek ways to tell lies about people who are peaceful.
For it is not peace that they speak of those who are quiet in the land; but treacherous charges they plot.
21 They shout at me, to accuse me, saying, “We saw the wrong things that you did!”
With wide open mouths they shout, ‘Hurrah! Hurrah! With our own eyes we saw it.’
22 Yahweh, you have seen these things, so do not be silent! Do not stay far from me!
But you have seen, too, 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!
Bestir you, awake, for my right my God, my Lord, for my cause.
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].
You are just, Lord: win for me justice, 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!”
inwardly saying, ‘Hurrah! The desire of our hearts at last! Now 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!
Shame and confusion together on those who rejoice at my hurt! Clothed with shame and dishonour be those who are haughty to 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 such as delight in my cause ring out their gladness, and say evermore, ‘Great is the Lord whose delight is the well-being of his servant.’
28 Then I will proclaim that you act righteously, and I will praise you all day long.
Then my tongue will tell of your justice, and all the day long of your praise.
