Psalms 35

1 By David. Contend, LORD, with those who contend with me. Fight against those who fight against me.

PLEAD my cause, O Lord, with them that strive with me: fight against them that fight against me.

2 Take hold of shield and buckler, and stand up for my help.

Take hold of shield and buckler, and stand up for mine help.

3 Brandish the spear and block those who pursue me. Tell my soul, “I am your salvation.”

Draw out also the spear, and stop the way against them that persecute me: say unto my soul, I am thy salvation.

4 Let those who seek after my soul be disappointed and brought to dishonour. Let those who plot my ruin be turned back and confounded.

Let them be confounded and put to shame that seek after my soul: let them be turned back and brought to confusion that devise my hurt.

5 Let them be as chaff before the wind, the LORD’s angel driving them on.

Let them be as chaff before the wind: and let the angel of the Lord chase them.

6 Let their way be dark and slippery, the LORD’s angel pursuing them.

Let their way be dark and slippery: and let the angel of the Lord persecute them.

7 For without cause they have hidden their net in a pit for me. Without cause they have dug a pit for my soul.

For without cause have they hid for me their net in a pit, which without cause they have digged for my soul.

8 Let destruction come on him unawares. Let his net that he has hidden catch himself. Let him fall into that destruction.

Let destruction come upon him at unawares; and let his net that he hath hid catch himself: into that very destruction let him fall.

9 My soul shall be joyful in the LORD. It shall rejoice in his salvation.

And my soul shall be joyful in the Lord: it shall rejoice in his salvation.

10 All my bones shall say, “LORD, who is like you, who delivers the poor from him who is too strong for him; yes, the poor and the needy from him who robs him?”

All my bones shall say, Lord, who is like unto thee, which deliverest the poor from him that is too strong for him, yea, the poor and the needy from him that spoileth him?

11 Unrighteous witnesses rise up. They ask me about things that I don’t know about.

False witnesses did rise up; they laid to my charge things that I knew not.

12 They reward me evil for good, to the bereaving of my soul.

They rewarded me evil for good to the spoiling of my soul.

13 But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth. I afflicted my soul with fasting. My prayer returned into my own bosom.

But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth: I humbled my soul with fasting; and my prayer returned into mine own bosom.

14 I behaved myself as though it had been my friend or my brother. I bowed down mourning, as one who mourns his mother.

I behaved myself as though he had been my friend or brother: I bowed down heavily, as one that mourneth for his mother.

15 But in my adversity, they rejoiced, and gathered themselves together. The attackers gathered themselves together against me, and I didn’t know it. They tore at me, and didn’t cease.

But in mine adversity they rejoiced, and gathered themselves together: yea, the abjects gathered themselves together against me, and I knew it not; they did tear me, and ceased not:

16 Like the profane mockers in feasts, they gnashed their teeth at me.

With hypocritical mockers in feasts, they gnashed upon me with their teeth.

17 Lord, how long will you look on? Rescue my soul from their destruction, my precious life from the lions.

Lord, how long wilt thou look on? rescue my soul from their destructions, my darling from the lions.

18 I will give you thanks in the great assembly. I will praise you amongst many people.

I will give thee thanks in the great congregation: I will praise thee among much people.

19 Don’t let those who are my enemies wrongfully rejoice over me; neither let those who hate me without a cause wink their eyes.

Let not them that are mine enemies wrongfully rejoice over me: neither let them wink with the eye that hate me without a cause.

20 For they don’t speak peace, but they devise deceitful words against those who are quiet in the land.

For they speak not peace: but they devise deceitful matters against them that are quiet in the land.

21 Yes, they opened their mouth wide against me. They said, “Aha! Aha! Our eye has seen it!”

Yea, they opened their mouth wide against me, and said, Aha, aha, our eye hath seen it.

22 You have seen it, LORD. Don’t keep silent. Lord, don’t be far from me.

This thou hast seen, O Lord: keep not silence: O Lord, be not far from me.

23 Wake up! Rise up to defend me, my God! My Lord, contend for me!

Stir up thyself, and awake to my judgment, even unto my cause, my God and my Lord.

24 Vindicate me, LORD my God, according to your righteousness. Don’t let them gloat over me.

Judge me, O Lord my God, according to thy righteousness; and let them not rejoice over me.

25 Don’t let them say in their heart, “Aha! That’s the way we want it!” Don’t let them say, “We have swallowed him up!”

Let them not say in their hearts, Ah, so would we have it: let them not say, We have swallowed him up.

26 Let them be disappointed and confounded together who rejoice at my calamity. Let them be clothed with shame and dishonour who magnify themselves against me.

Let them be ashamed and brought to confusion together that rejoice at mine hurt: let them be clothed with shame and dishonour that magnify themselves against me.

27 Let those who favour my righteous cause shout for joy and be glad. Yes, let them say continually, “May the LORD be magnified, who has pleasure in the prosperity of his servant!”

Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the Lord be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.

28 My tongue shall talk about your righteousness and about your praise all day long.

And my tongue shall speak of thy righteousness and of thy praise all the day long.