Psalms 35
1 Yahweh, fight against those who fight against me! Fight against [my enemies] when they fight me!
David’s. Contend, O Yahweh, with them who contend with me, Make war upon them who make war upon me.
2 Be [like] a shield [DOU] to protect me and come to help me!
Grasp buckler and shield, and arise in 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].
Then draw the spear, and close up against my pursuers, Say to my soul, Thy salvation, I am!
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 confounded, who are seeking my life, —Let them turn back and be put to the blush, who are devising 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, with, the messenger of Yahweh, pressing them on:
6 Cause the path on which they run to be dark and slippery as your angel pursues them!
Let their way become dark and slippery, with, the messenger of Yahweh, 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, in a ditch, their net, —Without cause, have they digged [a pit] for my life.
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!
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!
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 Yahweh, —shall be glad 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 Yahweh, who is like unto thee? Rescuing the oppressed from one stronger than he, Yea the oppressed and the needy, from their spoiler.
11 People who tell lies stand in court and falsely accuse me of doing things that I do not know [anything] about.
There rise up witnesses helping forward violence and wrong, What I know not, they demand of me:
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, Bereaving 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 humbled, with fasting, my soul, though, my prayer, unto mine own bosom, might return:
14 I mourned and bowed my head as I prayed as though it was a friend or my mother for whom I was grieving.
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.
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 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;
16 Worthless people ridicule me and snarl at me.
Amidst profane praters of perversion, have they gnashed upon 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]
My Lord! how long wilt thou look on? Bring back my soul out of their raging, from among lions, my solitary self.
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 thank thee, in the midst of a great convocation, —In the midst of a mighty people, will I praise thee.
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 who are falsely my foes rejoice over me, As for them who hate me without cause, let them not wink the eye!
20 They do not talk peacefully to people; instead, they seek ways to tell lies about people who are peaceful.
For, no salvation, will they utter, —But, against the quiet of the land, deceitful things, do they devise;
21 They shout at me, to accuse me, saying, “We saw the wrong things that you did!”
Yea they have opened wide against me their mouth, They have said, Aha! Aha! our own eye, hath seen!
22 Yahweh, you have seen these things, so do not be silent! Do not stay far from me!
Thou hast seen, O Yahweh, do not keep silence! O My Lord! be not far from me:
23 Arise, my God, and plead my case in court, and successfully defend me!
Bestir thyself and wake up, to my vindication, O my God and My Lord!—to my plea:
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].
Vindicate me according to thy righteousness, O Yahweh, my God! 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! to our mind! 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 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.
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 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.
28 Then I will proclaim that you act righteously, and I will praise you all day long.
Mine own tongue also, shall softly utter thy righteousness, —All the day long, —thy praise!
