תהילים 35

1 לְדָוִד ׀ רִיבָה יְהוָה אֶת־יְרִיבַי לְחַם אֶת־לֹֽחֲמָֽי׃

Of David. Contend, Lord, with those who contend with me, do battle with those who do battle with me.

2 הַחֲזֵק מָגֵן וְצִנָּה וְקוּמָה בְּעֶזְרָתִֽי׃

Grasp shield and buckler, and rise up as my help.

3 וְהָרֵק חֲנִית וּסְגֹר לִקְרַאת רֹדְפָי אֱמֹר לְנַפְשִׁי יְֽשֻׁעָתֵךְ אָֽנִי׃

Draw spear and battle-axe, confront those who pursue me. Assure me that you will help me.

4 יֵבֹשׁוּ וְיִכָּלְמוּ מְבַקְשֵׁי נַפְשִׁי יִסֹּגוּ אָחוֹר וְיַחְפְּרוּ חֹשְׁבֵי רָעָתִֽי׃

Dishonor and shame be on those who are seeking my life! Defeat and confusion on those who are planning my hurt!

5 יִֽהְיוּ כְּמֹץ לִפְנֵי־רוּחַ וּמַלְאַךְ יְהוָה דּוֹחֶֽה׃

As chaff before wind may they be, with the Lord’s angel pursuing them.

6 יְֽהִי־דַרְכָּם חֹשֶׁךְ וַחֲלַקְלַקּוֹת וּמַלְאַךְ יְהוָה רֹדְפָֽם׃

Slippery and dark be their way, with his angel thrusting them on.

7 כִּֽי־חִנָּם טָֽמְנוּ־לִי שַׁחַת רִשְׁתָּם חִנָּם חָפְרוּ לְנַפְשִֽׁי׃

For they wantonly hid their net for me, and dug a pit to destroy me.

8 תְּבוֹאֵהוּ שׁוֹאָה לֹֽא־יֵדָע וְרִשְׁתּוֹ אֲשֶׁר־טָמַן תִּלְכְּדוֹ בְּשׁוֹאָה יִפָּל־בָּֽהּ׃

Upon them may ruin come unawares; may the net which they hid catch themselves, and into the pit may they fall.

9 וְנַפְשִׁי תָּגִיל בַּיהוָה תָּשִׂישׂ בִּישׁוּעָתֽוֹ׃

Then I will exult in the Lord, and be joyful because of his help;

10 כָּל עַצְמוֹתַי ׀ תֹּאמַרְנָה יְהוָה מִי כָמוֹךָ מַצִּיל עָנִי מֵחָזָק מִמֶּנּוּ וְעָנִי וְאֶבְיוֹן מִגֹּזְלֽוֹ׃

and all my being will say, “Who, O Lord, is like you, who save the helpless from those too strong for them, the poor and the helpless from those who despoil them?”

11 יְקוּמוּן עֵדֵי חָמָס אֲשֶׁר לֹא־יָדַעְתִּי יִשְׁאָלֽוּנִי׃

Violent witnesses rise, and ask of me things that I know not.

12 יְשַׁלְּמוּנִי רָעָה תַּחַת טוֹבָה שְׁכוֹל לְנַפְשִֽׁי׃

Evil for good they requite me, leaving me inwardly comfortless.

13 וַאֲנִי ׀ בַּחֲלוֹתָם לְבוּשִׁי שָׂק עִנֵּיתִי בַצּוֹם נַפְשִׁי וּתְפִלָּתִי עַל־חֵיקִי תָשֽׁוּב׃

But when they were sick, I put on sackcloth, and chastened myself with fasting. I prayed with head bowed low,

14 כְּרֵֽעַ־כְּאָח לִי הִתְהַלָּכְתִּי כַּאֲבֶל־אֵם קֹדֵר שַׁחֽוֹתִי׃

as if for my friend or my brother. I went about bowed and in mourning, as one who laments his mother.

15 וּבְצַלְעִי שָׂמְחוּ וְֽנֶאֱסָפוּ נֶאֶסְפוּ עָלַי נֵכִים וְלֹא יָדַעְתִּי קָֽרְעוּ וְלֹא־דָֽמּוּ׃

When I stumbled, they gleefully gathered, strangers gathered around me, and tore at me without ceasing,

16 בְּחַנְפֵי לַעֲגֵי מָעוֹג חָרֹק עָלַי שִׁנֵּֽימוֹ׃

impiously mocking and mocking, bearing their teeth at me.

17 אֲדֹנָי כַּמָּה תִרְאֶה הָשִׁיבָה נַפְשִׁי מִשֹּׁאֵיהֶם מִכְּפִירִים יְחִידָתִֽי׃

How long, Lord, will you look on? Rescue me from their roaring, my precious life from the lions.

18 אוֹדְךָ בְּקָהָל רָב בְּעַם עָצוּם אֲהַֽלְלֶֽךָּ׃

I will then give you thanks in the great congregation, and praise you before many people.

19 אַֽל־יִשְׂמְחוּ־לִי אֹיְבַי שֶׁקֶר שֹׂנְאַי חִנָּם יִקְרְצוּ־עָֽיִן׃

Suffer not those to rejoice over me who are falsely my foes, suffer not those who without cause abhor me to wink with the eye.

20 כִּי לֹא שָׁלוֹם יְדַבֵּרוּ וְעַל רִגְעֵי־אֶרֶץ דִּבְרֵי מִרְמוֹת יַחֲשֹׁבֽוּן׃

For it is not peace that they speak of those who are quiet in the land; but treacherous charges they plot.

21 וַיַּרְחִיבוּ עָלַי פִּיהֶם אָמְרוּ הֶאָח ׀ הֶאָח רָאֲתָה עֵינֵֽינוּ׃

With wide open mouths they shout, “Hurrah! Hurrah! With our own eyes we saw it.”

22 רָאִיתָה יְהוָה אַֽל־תֶּחֱרַשׁ אֲדֹנָי אֲל־תִּרְחַק מִמֶּֽנִּי׃

But you have seen, too, O Lord, keep not silence, O Lord, be not far from me.

23 הָעִירָה וְהָקִיצָה לְמִשְׁפָּטִי אֱלֹהַי וַֽאדֹנָי לְרִיבִֽי׃

Bestir you, awake, for my right my God, my Lord, for my cause.

24 שָׁפְטֵנִי כְצִדְקְךָ יְהוָה אֱלֹהָי וְאַל־יִשְׂמְחוּ־לִֽי׃

You are just, Lord: win for me justice, let them not rejoice over me,

25 אַל־יֹאמְרוּ בְלִבָּם הֶאָח נַפְשֵׁנוּ אַל־יֹאמְרוּ בִּֽלַּעֲנֽוּהוּ׃

inwardly saying, “Hurrah! The desire of our hearts at last! Now we have swallowed him up.”

26 יֵבֹשׁוּ וְיַחְפְּרוּ ׀ יַחְדָּו שְׂמֵחֵי רָעָתִי יִֽלְבְּשׁוּ־בֹשֶׁת וּכְלִמָּה הַֽמַּגְדִּילִים עָלָֽי׃

Shame and confusion together on those who rejoice at my hurt! Clothed with shame and dishonor be those who are haughty to me!

27 יָרֹנּוּ וְיִשְׂמְחוּ חֲפֵצֵי צִדְקִי וְיֹאמְרוּ תָמִיד יִגְדַּל יְהוָה הֶחָפֵץ שְׁלוֹם עַבְדּֽוֹ׃

Let such as delight in my cause ring out their gladness, and say evermore, “Great is the Lord whose delight is the well-being of his servant.”

28 וּלְשׁוֹנִי תֶּהְגֶּה צִדְקֶךָ כָּל־הַיּוֹם תְּהִלָּתֶֽךָ׃

Then my tongue will tell of your justice, and all the day long of your praise.