Psalms 35

1 Of David. Contend with my opponents, O LORD; fight against those who fight against me.

2 Take up Your shield and buckler; arise and come to my aid.

3 Draw the spear and javelin against my pursuers; say to my soul: “I am your salvation.”

4 May those who seek my life be disgraced and put to shame; may those who plan to harm me be driven back and confounded.

5 May they be like chaff in the wind, as the angel of the LORD drives them away.

6 May their path be dark and slick, as the angel of the LORD pursues.

7 For without cause they laid their net for me; without reason they dug a pit for my soul.

8 May ruin befall them by surprise; may the net they hid ensnare them; may they fall into the hazard they created.

9 Then my soul will rejoice in the LORD and exult in His salvation.

10 All my bones will exclaim, “Who is like You, O LORD, who delivers the afflicted from the aggressor, the poor and needy from the robber?”

11 Hostile witnesses come forward; they make charges I know nothing about.

12 They repay me evil for good, to the bereavement of my soul.

13 Yet when they were ill, I put on sackcloth; I humbled myself with fasting, but my prayers returned unanswered.

14 I paced about as for my friend or brother; I was bowed down with grief, like one mourning for his mother.

15 But when I stumbled, they assembled in glee; they gathered together against me. Assailants I did not know slandered me without ceasing.

16 Like godless jesters at a feast, they gnashed their teeth at me.

17 How long, O Lord, will You look on? Rescue my soul from their ravages, my precious life from these lions.

18 Then I will give You thanks in the great assembly; I will praise You among many people.

19 Let not my enemies gloat over me without cause, nor those who hate me without reason wink in malice.

20 For they do not speak peace, but they devise deceitful schemes against those who live quietly in the land.

21 They gape at me and say, “Aha, aha! Our eyes have seen!”

22 O LORD, You have seen it; be not silent. O Lord, be not far from me.

23 Awake and rise to my defense, to my cause, my God and my Lord!

24 Vindicate me by Your righteousness, O LORD my God, and do not let them gloat over me.

25 Let them not say in their hearts, “Aha, just what we wanted!” Let them not say, “We have swallowed him up!”

26 May those who gloat in my distress be ashamed and confounded; may those who exalt themselves over me be clothed in shame and reproach.

27 May those who favor my vindication shout for joy and gladness; may they always say, “Exalted be the LORD who delights in His servant’s well-being.”

28 Then my tongue will proclaim Your righteousness and Your praises all day long.

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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.

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

10 All 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?

11 ¶ False witnesses did rise up; they laid to my charge [things] that I knew not.

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

13 But 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.

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

15 But 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:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

26 Let 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.

27 Let 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.

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

1 a psalm of David. O Lord, contend with my disputers; fight against my champions.

2 seize the shield and weapons and set out to help me!

3 Draw the spear, and defend me against my persecutors. Say unto my soul, I am thy help.

4 They that seek my soul shall be ashamed and confounded; and they that seek me shall return and be confounded.

5 They shall be as chaff before the wind, and the angel of the LORD shall cast them out.

6 Let their way be dark and slippery, and let the angel of the LORD pursue them.

7 For without cause they have set their nets to destroy me, and without cause they have made pits for my soul.

8 He shall be taken unawares, and his net that he hath set shall take him, and be taken within.

9 But let my soul rejoice in the LORD, and be glad in his help.

10 All my bones shall say, Lord, who is like unto thee? Thou that savest the wretch from him that is too strong for him, and the poor and needy from his robbers.

11 Freve witnesses arise, which accuse me that I am not guilty.

12 They do me evil for good, to bring me to grief of heart.

13 And I, when they were sick, put on sackcloth, and hurt myself with fasting, and prayed always with my heart.

14 I held myself as if it were my friend and my brother; I walked sadly as one that mourneth for his mother.

15 But they rejoice in mine iniquity, and are cut off: the limpers are cut off against me without my fault: they tear, and cease not.

16 With them that feign and mock for the belly's sake, they gnash their teeth at me.

17 O Lord, how long wilt thou watch? deliver my soul from their tumult, and my lonely from the young lions.

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

19 Let not them rejoice over me that are unreasonably hostile unto me, neither let them scoff with their eyes that hate me without a cause.

20 For they seek to do harm, and seek false things against the quiet ones of the land;

21 And they open their mouths wide against me, and say: There, there, we are glad to see it.

22 O LORD, thou seest, be not silent: O LORD, be not far from me.

23 Awake, and awake to my right and to my cause, my God and my Lord!

24 O LORD my God, judge me according to thy righteousness, that they rejoice not over me.

25 Let them not say in their heart, There, there, we would. Let them not say: We have devoured him.

26 They shall be ashamed and put to shame, all they that rejoice in mine iniquity: they shall be clothed with shame and dishonour that boast against me.

27 Let them boast and rejoice that grant me to be right, saying always, Let the Lord be highly praised. Praise be to the LORD, who wills his servant well!

28 And my tongue shall speak of thy righteousness, and praise thee daily.