Psalms 35

1 A Psalm of David. Plead my cause, O LORD, with them that strive with me: fight against them that fight against me.

Yahweh, fight against those who fight against me! Fight against [my enemies] when they fight me!

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

Be [like] a shield [DOU] to protect me and come to help me!

3 Draw out also the spear, and stop the way against them that persecute me: say to my soul, I am thy salvation.

Lift up your spear [DOU] and [throw it] at those who pursue me! Promise me that you will enable me to defeat [my enemies].

4 Let them be confounded and put to shame that seek after my soul: let them be turned back and brought to confusion that devise my hurt.

Cause those who are trying to kill me to be defeated and disgraced! Cause those who are planning to do evil things to me to be pushed back and become confused!

5 Let them be as chaff before the wind: and let the angel of the LORD chase them.

Send your angel to pursue them, and as a result cause them to disappear like chaff/straw blown away by the wind!

6 Let their way be dark and slippery: and let the angel of the LORD persecute them.

Cause the path on which they run to be dark and slippery as your angel pursues them!

7 For without cause they have hid for me their net in a pit, which without cause they have dug for my soul.

Although I did not do anything wrong to them, they concealed a deep pit for me to fall into; they hid a net in which they would catch me.

8 Let destruction come upon him at unawares; and let his net that he hath hid catch himself: into that very destruction let him fall.

Cause them to suddenly experience disaster! Cause them to be trapped in their own nets! Cause them to fall into the pits that they have dug for me and disappear!

9 And my soul shall be joyful in the LORD: it shall rejoice in his salvation.

Then I will be joyful about what you, Yahweh, have done for me, I will be glad that you have rescued me.

10 All my bones shall say, LORD, who is like thee, who deliverest the poor from him that is too strong for him, even the poor and the needy from him that spoileth him?

With my whole inner being [SYN] I will say, “There is no one like Yahweh [RHQ]! No one else can rescue helpless people from powerful people [RHQ]. No one else can rescue weak and needy people from those who want to rob them.”

11 False witnesses arose; they laid to my charge things that I knew not.

People who tell lies stand in court and falsely accuse me of doing things that I do not know [anything] about.

12 They rewarded me evil for good to the spoiling of my soul.

In return for my doing good things for them, they do evil things to me, with the result that I feel that I am alone.

13 But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth: I humbled my soul with fasting; and my prayer returned into my own bosom.

When they were ill, I showed that I was sad. I did not eat any food, and I bowed my head as I prayed [for them].

14 I behaved myself as though he had been my friend or brother: I bowed down heavily, as one that mourneth for his mother.

I mourned and bowed my head as I prayed as though it was a friend or my mother for whom I was grieving.

15 But in my adversity they rejoiced, and gathered themselves together: yea, the smiters gathered themselves together against me, and I knew it not; they did tear me, and ceased not:

But when I had troubles, they were all happy about it. They gathered around to make fun of me. Strangers struck me, and they would not stop.

16 With hypocritical mockers in feasts, they gnashed upon me with their teeth.

Worthless people ridicule me and snarl at me.

17 Lord, how long wilt thou look on? rescue my soul from their destructions, my darling from the lions.

Yahweh, how long will you only watch them doing this? Rescue me from their attacking me; Save me from being killed by these men who are attacking me like [MET] lions [that are attacking other animals]

18 I will give thee thanks in the great congregation: I will praise thee among many people.

Then, when many of your people gather, I will praise you and I will thank you in front of all of them.

19 Let not them that are my enemies wrongfully rejoice over me: neither let them wink with the eye that hate me without a cause.

Do not allow my enemies, who tell lies about me, defeat me and then rejoice! Do not allow those who hate me when there in no reason to hate me to (smirk/smile happily)!

20 For they speak not peace: but they devise deceitful matters against them that are quiet in the land.

They do not talk peacefully to people; instead, they seek ways to tell lies about people who are peaceful.

21 Yea, they opened their mouth wide against me, and said, Aha, aha, our eye hath seen it.

They shout at me, to accuse me, saying, “We saw the wrong things that you did!”

22 This thou hast seen, O LORD: keep not silence: O Lord, be not far from me.

Yahweh, you have seen these things, so do not be silent! Do not stay far from me!

23 Stir up thyself, and awake to my judgment, even to my cause, my God and my Lord.

Arise, my God, and plead my case in court, and successfully defend me!

24 Judge me, O LORD my God, according to thy righteousness; and let them not rejoice over me.

Yahweh, my God, because you are righteous, prove that I am innocent in order that my enemies will not be able to gloat [that I was judged to be guilty].

25 Let them not say in their hearts, Ah, so would we have it: let them not say, We have swallowed him up.

Do not allow them to be able to say to themselves, “Yes, we have gotten rid of him [IDM] just like we desired!”

26 Let them be ashamed and brought to confusion together that rejoice at my hurt: let them be clothed with shame and dishonour that magnify themselves against me.

Cause those who rejoice about my misfortunes to be completely defeated and disgraced; cause those who boast that they are much greater than me to be disgraced and dishonored!

27 Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the LORD be magnified, who hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.

But cause those who desire that I be acquitted to be happy and shout joyfully, and cause them to continually say, “Yahweh is great! He is delighted to cause things to go well for those who serve him.”

28 And my tongue shall speak of thy righteousness and of thy praise all the day long.

Then I will proclaim that you act righteously, and I will praise you all day long.