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.
Psalm 35
Of David.
1Contend, Lord, with those who contend with me;
fight against those who fight against me.
2Take up shield and armor;
arise and come to my aid.
3Brandish spear and javelin35:3 Or and block the way
against those who pursue me.
Say to me,
“I am your salvation.”
4May those who seek my life
be disgraced and put to shame;
may those who plot my ruin
be turned back in dismay.
5May they be like chaff before the wind,
with the angel of the Lord driving them away;
6may their path be dark and slippery,
with the angel of the Lord pursuing them.
7Since they hid their net for me without cause
and without cause dug a pit for me,
8may ruin overtake them by surprise—
may the net they hid entangle them,
may they fall into the pit, to their ruin.
9Then my soul will rejoice in the Lord
and delight in his salvation.
10My whole being will exclaim,
“Who is like you, Lord?
You rescue the poor from those too strong for them,
the poor and needy from those who rob them.”
11Ruthless witnesses come forward;
they question me on things I know nothing about.
12They repay me evil for good
and leave me like one bereaved.
13Yet when they were ill, I put on sackcloth
and humbled myself with fasting.
When my prayers returned to me unanswered,
14I went about mourning
as though for my friend or brother.
I bowed my head in grief
as though weeping for my mother.
15But when I stumbled, they gathered in glee;
assailants gathered against me without my knowledge.
They slandered me without ceasing.
16Like the ungodly they maliciously mocked;35:16 Septuagint; Hebrew may mean Like an ungodly circle of mockers,
they gnashed their teeth at me.
17How long, Lord, will you look on?
Rescue me from their ravages,
my precious life from these lions.
18I will give you thanks in the great assembly;
among the throngs I will praise you.
19Do not let those gloat over me
who are my enemies without cause;
do not let those who hate me without reason
maliciously wink the eye.
20They do not speak peaceably,
but devise false accusations
against those who live quietly in the land.
21They sneer at me and say, “Aha! Aha!
With our own eyes we have seen it.”
22Lord, you have seen this; do not be silent.
Do not be far from me, Lord.
23Awake, and rise to my defense!
Contend for me, my God and Lord.
24Vindicate me in your righteousness, Lord my God;
do not let them gloat over me.
25Do not let them think, “Aha, just what we wanted!”
or say, “We have swallowed him up.”
26May all who gloat over my distress
be put to shame and confusion;
may all who exalt themselves over me
be clothed with shame and disgrace.
27May those who delight in my vindication
shout for joy and gladness;
may they always say, “The Lord be exalted,
who delights in the well-being of his servant.”
28My tongue will proclaim your righteousness,
your praises all day long.
