Psalm 35:1-28
Of David.
35 O Jehovah, defend my case against my opposers;+Fight against those who fight against me.+
2 Take up your buckler* and large shield,+And rise up to my defense.+
3 Lift up your spear and battle-ax* against my pursuers.+
Say to me:* “I am your salvation.”+
4 May those who are hunting for my life* be put to shame and humiliated.+
May those who are plotting to destroy me retreat in disgrace.
5 May they become like chaff in the wind;May Jehovah’s angel drive them away.+
6 May their path be dark and slipperyAs Jehovah’s angel pursues them.
7 For without cause they have hidden a net to trap me;Without cause they have dug a pit for me.*
8 May disaster come upon him by surprise;May the net that he hid catch him;May he fall into it and be destroyed.+
9 But I* will rejoice in Jehovah;I will be joyful in his acts of salvation.
10 All my bones will say:
“O Jehovah, who is like you?
You rescue the helpless from those who are stronger,+The helpless and the poor from those who rob them.”+
11 Malicious witnesses come forward,+Asking me things I know nothing about.
12 They repay me with bad for good,+Making me* feel bereaved.
13 But when they were ill, I clothed myself with sackcloth;I afflicted myself* by fasting,And when my prayer would return unanswered,*
14 I walked about mourning as for a friend or a brother of mine;I bowed down in sorrow, like one mourning for his mother.
15 But when I stumbled, they rejoiced and gathered together;They gathered together to strike me down in ambush;They tore me to pieces and did not keep silent.
16 The ungodly scornfully mock me,*They grind their teeth against me.+
17 O Jehovah, how long will you just look on?+
Rescue me* from their attacks,+My precious life* from the young lions.*+
18 Then I will give thanks to you in the great congregation;+I will praise you among the throngs of people.
19 Do not let those who for no reason are my enemies gloat over me;Do not let those hating me without cause+ wink their eyes maliciously.+
20 For they do not speak words of peace,But they deceptively scheme against the peaceful ones of the land.+
21 They open their mouth wide to accuse me,Saying: “Aha! Aha! Our eyes have seen it.”
22 You have seen this, O Jehovah. Do not remain silent.+
O Jehovah, do not stay far from me.+
23 Awake and rise to my defense,My God, Jehovah, defend me in my legal case.
24 Judge me according to your righteousness,+ O Jehovah my God;Do not let them gloat over me.
25 May they never say to themselves: “Aha! We got what we wanted.”*
May they never say: “We have swallowed him up.”+
26 Let all of them be put to shame and disgraced,Those who gloat over my calamity.
Let those who exalt themselves over me be clothed with shame and humiliation.
27 But let those who take pleasure in my righteousness shout joyfully;May they constantly say:
“May Jehovah be magnified, who takes pleasure in the peace of his servant.”+
28 Then my tongue will recount* your righteousness+And praise you all day long.+
Footnotes
^ A small shield, often carried by archers.
^ Or “double ax.”
^ Or “my soul.”
^ Or “my soul.”
^ Or “my soul.”
^ Or “my soul.”
^ Or “my soul.”
^ Or “my soul.”
^ Or “would return upon my bosom.”
^ Or possibly, “The ungodly mock for a cake.”
^ Or “my soul.”
^ Lit., “My only one,” referring to his soul, or life.
^ Or “maned young lions.”
^ Or “Aha! Our soul.”
^ Or “meditate on.”