Psalms 35
1 By David. Contend, LORD, with those who contend with me. Fight against those who fight against me.
“Of David.” Contend, O Lord, with those that contend with me: fight against those that fight against me.
2 Take hold of shield and buckler, and stand up for my help.
Take hold of shield and buckler, and rise up for my help.
3 Brandish the spear and block those who pursue me. Tell my soul, “I am your salvation.”
And draw out the spear, and step in against my pursuers; 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 those be put to shame and be confounded that seek after my life: let those be turned backward and be made to blush, that devise unhappiness for me.
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 may the angel of the Lord cast them forth.
6 Let their way be dark and slippery, the LORD’s angel pursuing them.
May their way be dark and slippery: and may the angel of the Lord pursue 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 hidden for me their net in a pit, without cause have they dug [pit-falls] against my life.
8 Let destruction come on him unawares. Let his net that he has hidden catch himself. Let him fall into that destruction.
May then destruction come upon each of them at unawares; and may his net that he hath hidden catch himself: in [utter] destruction let him fall therein.
9 My soul shall be joyful in the LORD. It shall rejoice in his salvation.
But my soul shall exult in the Lord: she shall be glad through 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 will 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 robbeth him?
11 Unrighteous witnesses rise up. They ask me about things that I don’t know about.
There rise up witnesses of violence; concerning what I know not they question me.
12 They reward me evil for good, to the bereaving of my soul.
They recompense me with evil in place of good, [bringing] bereavement on 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 afflicted with fasting my soul, and my prayer returned into my 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.
As though he had been to me a friend or a brother did I walk about: as one that mourneth for a mother did I sorrowfully bend down my head.
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 my downfall they rejoiced, and gathered themselves together; there gathered themselves together against me abject wretches, whom I knew not; they did tear me, and ceased not:
16 Like the profane mockers in feasts, they gnashed their teeth at me.
With hypocritical babbling mockers, 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.
O Lord, how long wilt thou look on? rescue my soul from their destructions, from the young lions my solitary spirit.
18 I will give you thanks in the great assembly. I will praise you amongst many people.
I will thank thee in the great assembly: among a mighty people will I praise thee.
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 rejoice over me those that are my enemies wrongfully: [nor] let those who hate me without cause wink with the eye.
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 against the quiet in the land they devise deceitful words.
21 Yes, they opened their mouth wide against me. They said, “Aha! Aha! Our eye has seen it!”
Yea, they opened wide against me their mouth; they 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.
Thou hast seen it, O Lord! remain not silent: O Lord, be not far from me.
23 Wake up! Rise up to defend me, my God! My Lord, contend for me!
Arouse thyself, and awake to do me justice, my God and my Lord, unto my cause.
24 Vindicate me, LORD my God, according to your righteousness. Don’t let them gloat over me.
Judge me according to thy righteousness, O Lord my God; 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 heart, Aha, [this is the wish of] our soul: 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 those be made ashamed and put to the blush together that rejoice at my mishap; let them be clothed with shame and confusion that magnify themselves above 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 those shout, and rejoice, that desire my righteousness: yea, let them say continually, Great is the Lord, who desireth the welfare 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, all the day of thy praise.
