Psalms 35

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

A psalm of David. Oppose my opponents, Lord; fight those who are fighting against me.

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

Put your armor on, and pick up your shield. Get ready, come and help me.

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

Draw your spear and your javelin, confront those who are chasing me. Tell me, “I am your salvation!”

4 Let those who seek after my soul be disappointed and brought to dishonor. Let those who plot my ruin be turned back and confounded.

Shame them! Humiliate those who are trying to kill me! Turn them back! Disgrace those who are planning to hurt me!

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

Let them be like chaff blown by the wind; let the angel of the Lord drive them away.

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

May their path be dark and slippery, with the angel of the Lord chasing them down.

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 no reason they set a net to catch me; for no reason they dug a pit to trap me.

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

Let disaster come on them suddenly; let the net they set catch them instead; let the pit they dug trap them instead.

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

Then I will be glad in the Lord; I will be happy in his salvation.

10 All my bones shall say, “Yahweh, 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?”

Every part of me will say, Who can compare to you, Lord? You rescue the weak from the strong; the poor and needy from robbers.

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

Hostile witnesses stand up to testify against me, accusing me of crimes I don't know anything about.

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

They pay me back with evil instead of good. I feel like giving up.

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 clothes of sackcloth in sympathy. I denied myself through fasting. May my prayer for them return to bless me too.

14 I behaved myself as though it had been my friend or my brother. I bowed down mourning, as one who mourns his mother.

I was upset for them, as if they were my own friends or family; I bowed down in grief as if I was mourning my own 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.

But when I was in trouble, they gathered around and laughed at me. Even strangers I don't know attacked me, constantly tearing me apart.

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

Like irreligious people mocking a cripple they mock me and call me names, gnashing 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 sit by and just watch? Save me from their vicious attacks; defend the only life I have from these lions.

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

Then I will thank you in front of the whole congregation and praise you in front of all the 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.

Don't let my enemies take pleasure in my troubles, those people who hate me and tell lies about me, gloating over me for no reason.

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

They are not looking for peace; they invent malicious and deceptive schemes against innocent peace-loving people.

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

They open their mouths wide to make accusations against me, saying, “Look! Look! We saw it with our own eyes!”

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

But Lord, you've seen all this! Say something! Don't give up on me, Lord!

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

Wake up! Get up and defend me, my Lord and my God! Take up my case and make sure justice is done!

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

Vindicate me, my Lord and my God, because you are just and right. Don't let them gloat 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!”

Don't let them say to themselves, “Look! We got what we wanted!” Don't let them say, “We completely destroyed him!”

26 Let them be disappointed and confounded together who rejoice at my calamity. Let them be clothed with shame and dishonor who magnify themselves against me.

Make them totally ashamed, all those who are happy for the trouble I'm in. Let those who are celebrating over me be covered with shame and dishonor.

27 Let those who favor my righteous cause shout for joy and be glad. Yes, let them say continually, “May Yahweh be magnified, who has pleasure in the prosperity of his servant!”

Instead let those who are pleased I've been vindicated celebrate and shout for joy. Let them always say, “How great is the Lord! He is happy when his servants live in peace and have what they need.”

28 My tongue shall talk about your righteousness and about your praise all day long.

I will tell others about your character of truth and right, praising you all day long!