Psalms 35

1 By David. Contend, LORD, with those who contend with me. Fight against those who fight against me.

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

2 Take hold of shield and buckler, and stand up for my help.

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

3 Brandish the spear and block those who pursue me. Tell my soul, “I am your salvation.”

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

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.

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

5 Let them be as chaff before the wind, the LORD’s angel driving them on.

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

6 Let their way be dark and slippery, the LORD’s angel pursuing them.

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

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

8 Let destruction come on him unawares. Let his net that he has hidden catch himself. Let him fall into that destruction.

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

9 My soul shall be joyful in the LORD. It shall rejoice in his salvation.

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

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?”

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 Unrighteous witnesses rise up. They ask me about things that I don’t know about.

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

12 They reward me evil for good, to the bereaving of my soul.

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

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

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

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.

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

16 Like the profane mockers in feasts, they gnashed their teeth at me.

impiously mocking and mocking, bearing their teeth at me.

17 Lord, how long will you look on? Rescue my soul from their destruction, my precious life from the lions.

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

18 I will give you thanks in the great assembly. I will praise you amongst many people.

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

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.

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 For they don’t speak peace, but they devise deceitful words against those who are quiet in the land.

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

21 Yes, they opened their mouth wide against me. They said, “Aha! Aha! Our eye has seen it!”

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

22 You have seen it, LORD. Don’t keep silent. Lord, don’t be far from me.

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

23 Wake up! Rise up to defend me, my God! My Lord, contend for me!

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

24 Vindicate me, LORD my God, according to your righteousness. Don’t let them gloat over me.

You are just, Lord: win for me justice, 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!”

inwardly saying, ‘Hurrah! The desire of our hearts at last! Now 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.

Shame and confusion together on those who rejoice at my hurt! Clothed with shame and dishonour be those who are haughty to 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 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 My tongue shall talk about your righteousness and about your praise all day long.

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