Psalms 35
1 Of David. Contend, Lord, with those who contend with me, do battle with those who do battle with me.
[A Psalm] of David. Strive thou, O LORD, with them that strive with me: fight thou against them that fight against me.
2 Grasp shield and buckler, and rise up as my help.
Take hold of shield and buckler, and stand up for mine help.
3 Draw spear and battle-axe, confront those who pursue me. Assure me that you will help me.
Draw out also the spear, and stop the way against them that pursue me: say unto my soul, I am thy salvation.
4 Dishonour and shame be on those who are seeking my life! Defeat and confusion on those who are planning my hurt!
Let them be ashamed and brought to dishonour that seek after my soul: let them be turned back and confounded that devise my hurt.
5 As chaff before wind may they be, with the Lord’s angel pursuing them.
Let them be as chaff before the wind, and the angel of the LORD driving [them] on.
6 Slippery and dark be their way, with his angel thrusting them on.
Let their way be dark and slippery, and the angel of the LORD pursuing them.
7 For they wantonly hid their net for me, and dug a pit to destroy me.
For without cause have they hid for me their net [in] a pit, without cause have they digged [a pit] for my soul.
8 Upon them may ruin come unawares; may the net which they hid catch themselves, and into the pit may they fall.
Let destruction come upon him at unawares; and let his net that he hath hid catch himself: with destruction let him fall therein.
9 Then I will exult in the Lord, and be joyful because of his help;
And my soul shall be joyful in the LORD: it shall rejoice in his salvation.
10 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?’
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 Violent witnesses rise, and ask of me things that I know not.
Unrighteous witnesses rise up; they ask me of things that I know not.
12 Evil for good they requite me, leaving me inwardly comfortless.
They reward me evil for good, [to] the bereaving of my soul.
13 But when they were sick, I put on sackcloth, and chastened myself with fasting. I prayed with head bowed low,
But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth: I afflicted my soul with fasting; and my prayer returned into mine own bosom.
14 as if for my friend or my brother. I went about bowed and in mourning, as one who laments his mother.
I behaved myself as though it had been my friend or my brother: I bowed down mourning, as one that bewaileth his mother.
15 When I stumbled, they gleefully gathered, strangers gathered around me, and tore at me without ceasing,
But when I halted they rejoiced, and gathered themselves together: the abjects gathered themselves together against me, and I knew [it] not; they did tear me, and ceased not:
16 impiously mocking and mocking, bearing their teeth at me.
Like the profane mockers in feasts, they gnashed upon me with their teeth.
17 How long, Lord, will you look on? Rescue me from their roaring, 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 then give you thanks in the great congregation, and praise you before many people.
I will give thee thanks in the great congregation: I will praise thee among much people.
19 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.
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 it is not peace that they speak of those who are quiet in the land; but treacherous charges they plot.
For they speak not peace: but they devise deceitful words against them that are quiet in the land.
21 With wide open mouths they shout, ‘Hurrah! Hurrah! With our own eyes we saw it.’
Yea, they opened their mouth wide against me; they said, Aha, aha, our eye hath seen it.
22 But you have seen, too, O Lord, keep not silence, O Lord, be not far from me.
Thou hast seen it, O LORD; keep not silence: O Lord, be not far from me.
23 Bestir you, awake, for my right my God, my Lord, for my cause.
Stir up thyself, and awake to my judgment, [even] unto my cause, my God and my Lord.
24 You are just, Lord: win for me justice, let them not rejoice over me,
Judge me, O LORD my God, according to thy righteousness; and let them not rejoice over me.
25 inwardly saying, ‘Hurrah! The desire of our hearts at last! Now we have swallowed him up.’
Let them not say in their heart, Aha, so would we have it: let them not say, We have swallowed him up.
26 Shame and confusion together on those who rejoice at my hurt! Clothed with shame and dishonour be those who are haughty to me!
Let them be ashamed and confounded together that rejoice at mine hurt: let them be clothed with shame and dishonour that magnify themselves against me.
27 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.’
Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, The LORD be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.
28 Then my tongue will tell of your justice, and all the day long of your praise.
And my tongue shall talk of thy righteousness, [and] of thy praise all the day long.
