Psalms 35
1 By David. Contend, Yahweh, with those who contend with me. Fight against those who fight against me.
BY DAVID. Strive, YHWH, with my strivers, fight with my fighters,
2 Take hold of shield and buckler, and stand up for my help.
Take hold of shield and buckler, and rise for my help,
3 Brandish the spear and block those who pursue me. Tell my soul, “I am your salvation.”
And draw out spear and lance, To meet my pursuers. Say to my soul, “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.
They are ashamed and blush, those seeking my soul, Turned backward and confounded, Those devising my evil.
5 Let them be as chaff before the wind, Yahweh’s angel driving them on.
They are as chaff before wind, And a messenger of YHWH driving away.
6 Let their way be dark and slippery, Yahweh’s angel pursuing them.
Their way is darkness and slipperiness, And a messenger of YHWH—their pursuer.
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 without cause they hid their net [in] a pit for me, Without cause they dug for my soul.
8 Let destruction come on him unawares. Let his net that he has hidden catch himself. Let him fall into that destruction.
Desolation meets him—he does not know, And his net that he hid catches him, He falls into it for desolation.
9 My soul shall be joyful in Yahweh. It shall rejoice in his salvation.
And my soul is joyful in YHWH, It rejoices 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?”
All my bones say, “YHWH, who is like You, Delivering the poor from the [one] stronger than he, And the poor and needy from his plunderer.”
11 Unrighteous witnesses rise up. They ask me about things that I don’t know about.
Violent witnesses rise up, That which I have not known they ask me.
12 They reward me evil for good, to the bereaving of my soul.
They pay me evil for good, bereaving my soul,
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.
And I—in their sickness my clothing [is] sackcloth, I have humbled my soul with fastings, And my prayer returns to my bosom.
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] a friend, as [if] my brother, I habitually walked, As a mourner for a mother, I have bowed down mourning.
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.
And they have rejoiced in my halting, And have been gathered together, The strikers were gathered against me, And I have not known, They have torn, and they have not ceased;
16 Like the profane mockers in feasts, they gnashed their teeth at me.
With profane ones, mockers in feasts, Gnashing their teeth against me.
17 Lord, how long will you look on? Rescue my soul from their destruction, my precious life from the lions.
Lord, how long do You behold? Keep my soul back from their desolations, My only one from young lions.
18 I will give you thanks in the great assembly. I will praise you among many people.
I thank You in a great assembly, I praise You among a mighty 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.
Do not let my enemies rejoice over me [with] falsehood, Those hating me without cause wink the eye.
20 For they don’t speak peace, but they devise deceitful words against those who are quiet in the land.
For they do not speak peace, And against the quiet of the land, They devise deceitful words,
21 Yes, they opened their mouth wide against me. They said, “Aha! Aha! Our eye has seen it!”
And they enlarge their mouth against me, They said, “Aha, aha, our eye has seen.”
22 You have seen it, Yahweh. Don’t keep silent. Lord, don’t be far from me.
You have seen, O YHWH, Do not be silent, O Lord—do not be far from me,
23 Wake up! Rise up to defend me, my God! My Lord, contend for me!
Stir up, and wake to my judgment, My God, and my Lord, to my plea.
24 Vindicate me, Yahweh my God, according to your righteousness. Don’t let them gloat over me.
Judge me according to Your righteousness, O YHWH my God, And they do 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!”
They do not say in their heart, “Aha, our desire.” They do not say, “We swallowed him up.”
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.
They are ashamed and confounded together, Who are rejoicing at my evil. They put on shame and confusion, Who are magnifying themselves against me.
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!”
They sing and rejoice, who are desiring my righteousness, And they continually say, “YHWH is magnified, Who is desiring the peace of His servant.”
28 My tongue shall talk about your righteousness and about your praise all day long.
And my tongue utters Your righteousness, All the day Your praise!
