Psalms 35

1 By David. Contend, LORD, with those who contend with me. Fight against those who 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 Brandish the spear and block those who pursue me. Tell my soul, “I am your 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 those who seek after my soul be disappointed and brought to dishonour. Let those who plot my ruin be turned back and confounded.

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, the LORD’s angel driving them on.

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, the LORD’s angel pursuing them.

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

7 For without cause they have hidden their net in a pit for me. Without cause they have dug a pit 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 on him unawares. Let his net that he has hidden catch himself. Let him fall into that destruction.

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 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 you, who delivers the poor from him who is too strong for him; yes, the poor and the needy from him who robs 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 Unrighteous witnesses rise up. They ask me about things that I don’t know about.

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

12 They reward me evil for good, to the bereaving 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 afflicted my soul with fasting. 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 it had been my friend or my brother. I bowed down mourning, as one who mourns 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. The attackers gathered themselves together against me, and I didn’t know it. They tore at me, and didn’t cease.

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

Worthless people ridicule me and snarl at me.

17 Lord, how long will you look on? Rescue my soul from their destruction, my precious life 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 you thanks in the great assembly. I will praise you amongst 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 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 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 don’t speak peace, but they devise deceitful words against those who 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 Yes, they opened their mouth wide against me. They said, “Aha! Aha! Our eye has seen it!”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 disappointed and confounded together who rejoice at my calamity. Let them be clothed with shame and dishonour who 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 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!”

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

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