Psalms, 35

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

1. O Lord, attack those who attack me; fight against those who fight against me.

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

2. Come to my aid with armour and shield;

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

3. stand with your spear and war ax, halt my pursuers. Say to my soul, "I am your deliverer."

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.

4. Let them be shamed and dishonored, those who seek my life. Let them be routed and destroyed, those who plot my ruin.

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

5. Let them be like chaff before the wind, when the Lord's angel drives them away.

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

6. Let their escape path be dark and precipitous, with the Lord's angel always at their heels.

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

7. They set their net against me for no cause, they dug a pit for me without reason.

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.

8. Let ruin come upon them unexpectedly, let them be entangled in their own snare; let them fall into the trap of their own making.

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

9. Then will my soul rejoice in the Lord and exult 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?

10. My whole being will exclaim, "O Lord, who is like you? You who deliver the oppressed from those too strong for them, you who rescue the poor and the afflicted from their oppressors."

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

11. False witnesses take the stand, accusing me of crimes of which I am innocent.

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

12. For my kindness they return evil, bringing my life to despair.

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.

13. When they were sick, I wore sackcloth and fasted; I prayed hard with head bowed,

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

14. as if I were bereft of a friend or brother; I shed tears in grief, as one mourning the death of 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:

15. But when I stumbled they gathered in glee and, began to strike me; like strangers they disowned me and accused me falsely.

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

16. Like an ungodly circle of mockers, they gnashed their teeth and made me the butt of all their ridicule.

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

17. How long, O Lord, will you look on? Deliver my life, my only one, from these lions.

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

18. Then I will thank you in the great assembly; I will praise you in the mighty throng.

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.

19. Do not let them gloat over me - those who, unprovoked, have become my foes. Do not let them wink maliciously - those who hate me without cause.

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

20. Sowing discontent with their tongue and mind, they devise false accusations against the peace-loving people of the land.

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

21. They open wide their mouths against me: "Aha, aha!" they say, "We have seen it with our own eyes!"

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

22. But you, O Lord, who have seen, do not keep silent. Do not stand far from me.

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

23. Stir yourself up, stand up for my rights and 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.

24. Declare me innocent, O Lord, my God, according to your justice. Let them not gloat 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.

25. Never give them reason to say, "We have trampled him down!"

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.

26. Let them be utterly disgraced and confounded, who exult over my calamity. Let them be ashamed and dishonored, who rejoice at my distress.

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.

27. But let them be glad and rejoice, who are in sympathy with my cause. And may they ever say, "Great is the Lord, who has justified his servant."

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

28. Then will my tongue proclaim your righteousness, and sing your praises all day long.