Psalms 35
1 By David. Strive, Jehovah, with my strivers, fight with my fighters,
Yahweh, fight against those who fight against me! Fight against [my enemies] when they fight me!
2 Take hold of shield and buckler, and rise for my help,
Be [like] a shield [DOU] to protect me and come to help me!
3 And draw out spear and lance, To meet my pursuers. Say to my soul, 'Thy salvation I [am].'
Lift up your spear [DOU] and [throw it] at those who pursue me! Promise me that you will enable me to defeat [my enemies].
4 They are ashamed and blush, those seeking my soul, Turned backward and confounded, Those devising my evil.
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!
5 They are as chaff before wind, And a messenger of Jehovah driving away.
Send your angel to pursue them, and as a result cause them to disappear like chaff/straw blown away by the wind!
6 Their way is darkness and slipperiness, And a messenger of Jehovah their pursuer.
Cause the path on which they run to be dark and slippery as your angel pursues them!
7 For without cause they hid for me their netpit, Without cause they digged for my soul.
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.
8 Meet him doth desolation — he knoweth not, And his net that he hid catcheth him, For desolation he falleth into it.
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!
9 And my soul is joyful in Jehovah, It rejoiceth in His salvation.
Then I will be joyful about what you, Yahweh, have done for me, I will be glad that you have rescued me.
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.'
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.”
11 Violent witnesses rise up, That which I have not known they ask me.
People who tell lies stand in court and falsely accuse me of doing things that I do not know [anything] about.
12 They pay me evil for good, bereaving my soul,
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.
13 And I — in their sickness my clothing [is] sackcloth, I have humbled with fastings my soul, And my prayer unto my bosom returneth.
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].
14 As [if] a friend, as [if] my brother, I walked habitually, As a mourner for a mother, Mourning I have bowed down.
I mourned and bowed my head as I prayed as though it was a friend or my mother for whom I was grieving.
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 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.
16 With profane ones, mockers in feasts, Gnashing against me their teeth.
Worthless people ridicule me and snarl at me.
17 Lord, how long dost thou behold? Keep back my soul from their desolations, From young lions my only one.
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]
18 I thank Thee in a great assembly, Among a mighty people I praise Thee.
Then, when many of your people gather, I will praise you and I will thank you in front of all of them.
19 Mine enemies rejoice not over me [with] falsehood, Those hating me without cause wink the eye.
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)!
20 For they speak not peace, And against the quiet of the land, Deceitful words they devise,
They do not talk peacefully to people; instead, they seek ways to tell lies about people who are peaceful.
21 And they enlarge against me their mouth, They said, 'Aha, aha, our eye hath seen.'
They shout at me, to accuse me, saying, “We saw the wrong things that you did!”
22 Thou hast seen, O Jehovah, Be not silent, O Lord — be not far from me,
Yahweh, you have seen these things, so do not be silent! Do not stay far from me!
23 Stir up, and wake to my judgment, My God, and my Lord, to my plea.
Arise, my God, and plead my case in court, and successfully defend me!
24 Judge me according to Thy righteousness, O Jehovah my God, And they do not rejoice over me.
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].
25 They do not say in their heart, 'Aha, our desire.' They do not say, 'We swallowed him up.'
Do not allow them to be able to say to themselves, “Yes, we have gotten rid of him [IDM] just like we desired!”
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.
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!
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 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.”
28 And my tongue uttereth Thy righteousness, All the day Thy praise!
Then I will proclaim that you act righteously, and I will praise you all day long.
