Psalm 35
A psalm of David.
1Lord, stand up against those who stand up against me.
Fight against those who fight against me.
2Pick up your shield and your armor.
Rise up and help me.
3Get your spear and javelin ready to fight
against those who are chasing me.
Say to me, “I will save you.”
4Let those who are trying to kill me
be brought down in dishonor.
Let those who plan to destroy me
be turned back in terror.
5Let them be like straw blowing in the wind,
while the angel of the Lord drives them away.
6Let their path be dark and slippery,
while the angel of the Lord chases them.
7They set a trap for me without any reason.
Without any reason they dug a pit to catch me.
8So let them be destroyed without warning.
Let the trap they set for me catch them.
Let them fall into the pit and be destroyed.
9Then I will be full of joy because of what the Lord has done.
I will be glad because he has saved me.
10My whole being will cry out,
“Who is like you, Lord?
You save poor people from those who are too strong for them.
You save poor and needy people from those who rob them.”
11Mean people come forward to speak against me.
They ask me things I don’t know anything about.
12They pay me back with evil, even though I was good to them.
They leave me like someone who has lost a family member.
13But when they were sick, I put on the clothing of sadness.
I made myself humble by going without food.
My prayers for them weren’t always answered.
14So I went around crying
as if I were mourning over my friend or relative.
I bowed my head in sadness
as if I were weeping over my mother.
15But when I tripped and fell, they were all very happy.
Attackers gathered against me when I didn’t even know it.
They kept on telling lies about me.
16Like ungodly people, they were mean and made fun of me.
They ground their teeth at me in hate.
17Lord, how much longer will you just look on?
Save me from their deadly attacks.
Save the only life I have.
Save me from these lions.
18I will give you thanks in the whole community.
Among all your people I will praise you.
19Don’t let those who are my enemies without any reason
laugh at me and make fun of me.
Don’t let those who hate me without any reason
wink at me with an evil purpose.
20They don’t speak words of peace.
They make up false charges
against those who live quietly in the land.
21They make fun of me.
They say, “With our own eyes we have seen what you did.”
22Lord, you have seen this. Don’t be silent.
Lord, don’t be far away from me.
23Wake up! Rise up to help me!
My God and Lord, stand up for me.
24Lord my God, when you hand down your sentence, let it be in my favor.
You always do what is right.
Don’t let my enemies have the joy of seeing me fall.
25Don’t let them think, “That’s exactly what we wanted!”
Don’t let them say, “We have swallowed him up.”
26Let all those who laugh at me because I’m in trouble
be ashamed and bewildered.
Let all who think they are better than I am
put on shame and dishonor as if they were clothes.
27Let those who are happy when my name is cleared
shout with joy and gladness.
Let them always say, “May the Lord be honored.
He is pleased when everything goes well with the one who serves him.”
28You always do what is right. My tongue will speak about it
and praise you all day long.
A Psalm of David.
1Plead my cause, O LORD, with them that strive with me: fight against them that fight against me.
2Take hold of shield and buckler, and stand up for mine help.
3Draw out also the spear, and stop the way against them that persecute me: say unto my soul, I am thy salvation.
4Let 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.
5Let them be as chaff before the wind: and let the angel of the LORD chase them.
6Let their way be dark and slippery: and let the angel of the LORD persecute them.35.6 dark…: Heb. darkness and slipperiness
7For without cause have they hid for me their net in a pit, which without cause they have digged for my soul.
8Let destruction come upon him at unawares; and let his net that he hath hid catch himself: into that very destruction let him fall.35.8 at…: Heb. which he knoweth not of
9And my soul shall be joyful in the LORD: it shall rejoice in his salvation.
10All my bones shall say, LORD, who is like unto thee, which deliverest the poor from him that is too strong for him, yea, the poor and the needy from him that spoileth him?
11False witnesses did rise up; they laid to my charge things that I knew not.35.11 False…: Heb. Witnesses of wrong35.11 they…: Heb. they asked me
12They rewarded me evil for good to the spoiling of my soul.35.12 spoiling: Heb. depriving
13But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth: I humbled my soul with fasting; and my prayer returned into mine own bosom.35.13 humbled: or, afflicted
14I behaved myself as though he had been my friend or brother: I bowed down heavily, as one that mourneth for his mother.35.14 behaved myself: Heb. walked35.14 as though…: Heb. as a friend, as a brother to me
15But in mine adversity they rejoiced, and gathered themselves together: yea, the abjects gathered themselves together against me, and I knew it not; they did tear me, and ceased not:35.15 adversity: Heb. halting
16With hypocritical mockers in feasts, they gnashed upon me with their teeth.
17Lord, how long wilt thou look on? rescue my soul from their destructions, my darling from the lions.35.17 darling: Heb. only one
18I will give thee thanks in the great congregation: I will praise thee among much people.35.18 much: Heb. strong
19Let not them that are mine enemies wrongfully rejoice over me: neither let them wink with the eye that hate me without a cause.35.19 wrongfully: Heb. falsely
20For they speak not peace: but they devise deceitful matters against them that are quiet in the land.
21Yea, they opened their mouth wide against me, and said, Aha, aha, our eye hath seen it.
22This thou hast seen, O LORD: keep not silence: O Lord, be not far from me.
23Stir up thyself, and awake to my judgment, even unto my cause, my God and my Lord.
24Judge me, O LORD my God, according to thy righteousness; and let them not rejoice over me.
25Let them not say in their hearts, Ah, so would we have it: let them not say, We have swallowed him up.35.25 Ah…: Heb. Ah, ah, our soul
26Let them be ashamed and brought to confusion together that rejoice at mine hurt: let them be clothed with shame and dishonour that magnify themselves against me.
27Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the LORD be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.35.27 righteous…: Heb. righteousness
28And my tongue shall speak of thy righteousness and of thy praise all the day long.
