Psalm 35:1-28
Of David.
35 Do conduct my case, O Jehovah,* against my opponents;+War against those warring against me.+
2 Take hold of buckler and large shield,+And do rise up in assistance of me,+
3 And draw spear and double ax to meet those pursuing me.+Say to my soul: “I am your salvation.”+
4 May those be shamed and humiliated who are hunting for my soul.+May those be turned back and be abashed who are scheming calamity for me.+
5 May they become like chaff before the wind,+And let Jehovah’s angel be pushing [them] along.+
6 Let their way become darkness and slippery places,+And let Jehovah’s angel be pursuing them.
7 For without cause they have hid for me their netted pit;+Without cause they have dug it for my soul.*+
8 Let ruin come upon him without his knowing,+And let his own net that he hid catch him;+With ruin let him fall into it.+
9 But let my own soul be joyful in Jehovah;+Let it exult in his salvation.+
10 Let all my bones themselves say:+“O Jehovah, who is there like you,+Delivering the afflicted one from one stronger than he is,+And the afflicted and poor one from the one robbing him?”+
11 Violent witnesses rise up;+What I have not known they ask me.+
12 They reward me with bad for good,+Bereavement to my soul.+
13 As for me, when they became ill, my clothing was sackcloth,+With fasting I afflicted my soul,+And upon my bosom my own prayer would return.+
14 As for a companion, as for a brother of mine,+I walked about like one mourning for a mother.+Saddened, I bowed down.
15 But at my limping they rejoiced and gathered together;+They gathered together against me,+Striking [me] down when I did not know it;+They ripped [me] to pieces and did not keep silent.+
16 Among the apostate mockers for a cake*+There was a grinding* of their teeth even against me.+
17 O Jehovah,* how long will you keep seeing [it]?+Do bring back my soul from their ravages,+Even my only one*+ from the maned young lions.
18 I will laud you in the big congregation;*+Among a numerous people I shall praise you.+
19 O may those who for no reason are my enemies not rejoice over me;+As for those hating me without cause, let them not wink the eye.+
20 For it is not peace that they speak;+But against the quiet ones of the earthThings of deception they keep scheming.+
21 And they open wide their mouth even against me.+They have said: “Aha! Aha! our eye has seen [it].”+
22 You have seen, O Jehovah.*+ Do not keep silent.*+O Jehovah,* do not keep yourself far from me.+
23 Do arouse yourself* and awake to my judgment,+O my God, even Jehovah,* to my case at law.+
24 Judge me according to your righteousness, O Jehovah* my God,+And may they not rejoice over me.+
25 O may they not say in their heart: “Aha, our soul!”*+May they not say: “We have swallowed him up.”+
26 Let those be ashamed and abashed all together+Who are joyful at my calamity.+Let those be clothed with shame+ and humiliation who are assuming great airs against me.+
27 Let those cry out joyfully and rejoice who are delighting in my righteousness,+And let them say constantly:+“Let Jehovah* be magnified, who takes delight in the peace of his servant.”+
28 And let my own tongue utter in an undertone your righteousness,+All day long your praise.+
Footnotes
^ See App 1C §10.
^ “For my soul.” Heb., lenaph·shiʹ; Gr., psy·khenʹ; Lat., aʹni·mam. See App 4A.
^ “There was a grinding.” In Heb. this is a verb in the infinitive absolute, indefinite as to time and impersonal.
^ “The apostate mockers for a cake,” that is, ungodly buffoons.
^ One of 134 scribal changes from YHWH to ʼAdho·naiʹ. See App 1B.
^ “My only one,” fem., referring to “my soul,” fem.
^ “In the big congregation.” Heb., beqa·halʹ rav; Gr., ek·kle·siʹai; Lat., ec·cleʹsi·a.
^ See vs 17 ftn, “Jehovah.”
^ Or, “Do not be deaf.”
^ See App 1C §10.
^ LXX adds “O Jehovah.”
^ See vs 17 ftn, “Jehovah.”
^ See App 1C §10.
^ That is, ‘What our souls wanted!’
^ See App 1C §10.
