Psalms 35

1 By David. Strive, Jehovah, with my strivers, fight with my fighters,

A Psalme of Dauid. Pleade thou my cause, O Lord, with them that striue with me: fight thou against them, that fight against me.

2 Take hold of shield and buckler, and rise for my help,

Lay hand vpon the shielde and buckler, and stand vp for mine helpe.

3 And draw out spear and lance, To meet my pursuers. Say to my soul, 'Thy salvation I [am].'

Bring out also the speare and stop the way against them, that persecute me: say vnto my soule, I am thy saluation.

4 They are ashamed and blush, those seeking my soul, Turned backward and confounded, Those devising my evil.

Let them be confounded and put to shame, that seeke after my soule: let them be turned backe, and brought to confusion, that imagine mine hurt.

5 They are as chaff before wind, And a messenger of Jehovah driving away.

Let them be as chaffe before the winde, and let the Angel of the Lord scatter them.

6 Their way is darkness and slipperiness, And a messenger of Jehovah their pursuer.

Let their way be darke and slipperie: and let the Angel of the Lord persecute them.

7 For without cause they hid for me their netpit, Without cause they digged for my soul.

For without cause they haue hid the pit and their net for me: without cause haue they digged a pit for my soule.

8 Meet him doth desolation — he knoweth not, And his net that he hid catcheth him, For desolation he falleth into it.

Let destruction come vpon him at vnwares, and let his net, that he hath laid priuilie, take him: let him fall into the same destruction.

9 And my soul is joyful in Jehovah, It rejoiceth in His salvation.

Then my soule shalbe ioyfull in the Lord: it shall reioyce in his saluation.

10 All my bones say, 'Jehovah, who is like Thee, Delivering the poor from the stronger than he, And the poor and needy from his plunderer.'

All my bones shall say, Lord, who is like vnto thee, which deliuerest the poore from him, that is too strong for him! yea, the poore and him that is in miserie, from him that spoyleth him!

11 Violent witnesses rise up, That which I have not known they ask me.

Cruell witnesses did rise vp: they asked of me things that I knewe not.

12 They pay me evil for good, bereaving my soul,

They rewarded me euill for good, to haue spoyled my soule.

13 And I — in their sickness my clothing [is] sackcloth, I have humbled with fastings my soul, And my prayer unto my bosom returneth.

Yet I, when they were sicke, I was clothed with a sacke: I humbled my soule with fasting: and my praier was turned vpon my bosome.

14 As [if] a friend, as [if] my brother, I walked habitually, As a mourner for a mother, Mourning I have bowed down.

I behaued my selfe as to my friend, or as to my brother: I humbled my selfe, mourning as one that bewaileth his mother.

15 And — in my halting they have rejoiced, And have been gathered together, Gathered against me were the smiters, And I have not known, They have rent, and they have not ceased;

But in mine aduersitie they reioyced, and gathered them selues together: the abiects assembled themselues against me, and knewe not: they tare me and ceased not,

16 With profane ones, mockers in feasts, Gnashing against me their teeth.

With the false skoffers at bankets, gnashing their teeth against me.

17 Lord, how long dost thou behold? Keep back my soul from their desolations, From young lions my only one.

Lord, how long wilt thou beholde this? deliuer my soule from their tumult, euen my desolate soule from the lions.

18 I thank Thee in a great assembly, Among a mighty people I praise Thee.

So will I giue thee thankes in a great Congregation: I will praise thee among much people.

19 Mine enemies rejoice not over me [with] falsehood, Those hating me without cause wink the eye.

Let not them that are mine enemies, vniustly reioyce ouer mee, neyther let them winke with the eye, that hate mee without a cause.

20 For they speak not peace, And against the quiet of the land, Deceitful words they devise,

For they speake not as friendes: but they imagine deceitfull woordes against the quiet of the lande.

21 And they enlarge against me their mouth, They said, 'Aha, aha, our eye hath seen.'

And they gaped on mee with their mouthes, saying, Aha, aha, our eye hath seene.

22 Thou hast seen, O Jehovah, Be not silent, O Lord — be not far from me,

Thou hast seene it, O Lord: keepe not silence: be not farre from me, O Lord.

23 Stir up, and wake to my judgment, My God, and my Lord, to my plea.

Arise and wake to my iudgement, euen to my cause, my God, and my Lord.

24 Judge me according to Thy righteousness, O Jehovah my God, And they do not rejoice over me.

Iudge me, O Lord my God, according to thy righteousnesse, and let them not reioyce ouer mee.

25 They do not say in their heart, 'Aha, our desire.' They do not say, 'We swallowed him up.'

Let them not say in their hearts, O our soule reioyce: neither let them say, We haue deuoured him.

26 They are ashamed and confounded together, Who are rejoicing at my evil. They put on shame and confusion, Who are magnifying themselves against me.

Let them bee confounded, and put to shame together, that reioyce at mine hurt: let them bee clothed with confusion and shame, that lift vp themselues against me.

27 They sing and rejoice, who are desiring my righteousness, And they say continually, 'Jehovah is magnified, Who is desiring the peace of His servant.'

But let them be ioyful and glad, that loue my righteousnesse: yea, let them say alway, Let the Lord be magnified, which loueth the prosperitie of his seruant.

28 And my tongue uttereth Thy righteousness, All the day Thy praise!

And my tongue shall vtter thy righteousnesse, and thy praise euery day.