Psalms 35
1 A psalm of David. Yahweh, work against those who work against me; fight against those who fight against me.
A psalm of David. Oppose my opponents, Lord; fight those who are fighting against me.
2 Grab your small shield and large shield; rise up and help me.
Put your armor on, and pick up your shield. Get ready, come and help me.
3 Use your spear and battle ax against those who chase me; say to my soul, “I am your salvation.”
Draw your spear and your javelin, confront those who are chasing me. Tell me, “I am your salvation!”
4 May those who seek my life be shamed and dishonored. May those who plan to harm me be turned back and confounded.
Shame them! Humiliate those who are trying to kill me! Turn them back! Disgrace those who are planning to hurt me!
5 May they be as chaff before the wind, as the angel of Yahweh drives them away.
Let them be like chaff blown by the wind; let the angel of the Lord drive them away.
6 May their way be dark and slippery, as the angel of Yahweh chases them.
May their path be dark and slippery, with the angel of the Lord chasing them down.
7 Without cause they set their net for me; without cause they dug a pit for my life.
For no reason they set a net to catch me; for no reason they dug a pit to trap me.
8 Let destruction overtake them by surprise. Let the net that they have set catch them. Let them fall into it, to their destruction.
Let disaster come on them suddenly; let the net they set catch them instead; let the pit they dug trap them instead.
9 But I will be joyful in Yahweh and rejoice in his salvation.
Then I will be glad in the Lord; I will be happy in his salvation.
10 All my bones will say, “Yahweh, who is like you, who rescues the oppressed from those who are too strong for them and the poor and needy from those who try to rob them?”
Every part of me will say, Who can compare to you, Lord? You rescue the weak from the strong; the poor and needy from robbers.
11 Unrighteous witnesses rise up; they accuse me falsely.
Hostile witnesses stand up to testify against me, accusing me of crimes I don't know anything about.
12 They repay me evil for good. I am sorrowful.
They pay me back with evil instead of good. I feel like giving up.
13 But, when they were sick, I wore sackcloth; I fasted for them with my head bowed on my chest.
But when they were sick, I put on clothes of sackcloth in sympathy. I denied myself through fasting. May my prayer for them return to bless me too.
14 I went about in grief as for my brother; I bent down in mourning as for my mother.
I was upset for them, as if they were my own friends or family; I bowed down in grief as if I was mourning my own mother.
15 But when I stumbled, they rejoiced and gathered together; they gathered together against me, and I was surprised by them. They tore at me without stopping.
But when I was in trouble, they gathered around and laughed at me. Even strangers I don't know attacked me, constantly tearing me apart.
16 With no respect at all they mocked me; they grind their teeth at me in rage.
Like irreligious people mocking a cripple they mock me and call me names, gnashing their teeth at me.
17 Lord, how long will you look on? Rescue my soul from their destructive attacks, my life from the lions.
How long, Lord, will you sit by and just watch? Save me from their vicious attacks; defend the only life I have from these lions.
18 Then I will thank you in the great assembly; I will praise you among many people.
Then I will thank you in front of the whole congregation and praise you in front of all the people.
19 Do not let my deceitful enemies rejoice over me; do not let them carry out their wicked schemes.
Don't let my enemies take pleasure in my troubles, those people who hate me and tell lies about me, gloating over me for no reason.
20 For they do not speak peace, but they devise deceitful words against those in our land who live in peace.
They are not looking for peace; they invent malicious and deceptive schemes against innocent peace-loving people.
21 They open their mouths wide against me; they said, “Aha, Aha, our eyes have seen it.”
They open their mouths wide to make accusations against me, saying, “Look! Look! We saw it with our own eyes!”
22 You have seen it, Yahweh, do not be silent; Lord, do not be far from me.
But Lord, you've seen all this! Say something! Don't give up on me, Lord!
23 Arouse yourself and awake to my defense; My God and my Lord, defend my cause.
Wake up! Get up and defend me, my Lord and my God! Take up my case and make sure justice is done!
24 Defend me, Yahweh my God, because of your righteousness; do not let them rejoice over me.
Vindicate me, my Lord and my God, because you are just and right. Don't let them gloat over me.
25 Do not let them say in their heart, “Aha, we have what we wanted.” Do not let them say, “We have devoured him.”
Don't let them say to themselves, “Look! We got what we wanted!” Don't let them say, “We completely destroyed him!”
26 May they be put to shame and may they be confounded who rejoice at my distress. May those who exalt themselves over me be clothed with shame and dishonor.
Make them totally ashamed, all those who are happy for the trouble I'm in. Let those who are celebrating over me be covered with shame and dishonor.
27 Let those who desire my vindication shout for joy and be glad; may they say continually, “Yahweh be praised, he who delights in the welfare of his servant.”
Instead let those who are pleased I've been vindicated celebrate and shout for joy. Let them always say, “How great is the Lord! He is happy when his servants live in peace and have what they need.”
28 Then I will tell of your justice and praise you all day long.
I will tell others about your character of truth and right, praising you all day long!
