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By David.

35 Contend, Yahweh, with those who contend with me.
    Fight against those who fight against me.
Take hold of shield and buckler,
    and stand up for my help.
Brandish the spear and block those who pursue me.
    Tell my soul, “I am your salvation.”
Let those who seek after my soul be disappointed and brought to dishonor.
    Let those who plot my ruin be turned back and confounded.
Let them be as chaff before the wind,
    Yahweh’s angel driving them on.
Let their way be dark and slippery,
    Yahweh’s angel pursuing them.
For without cause they have hidden their net in a pit for me.
    Without cause they have dug a pit for my soul.
Let destruction come on him unawares.
    Let his net that he has hidden catch himself.
    Let him fall into that destruction.

My soul shall be joyful in Yahweh.
    It shall rejoice in his salvation.
10 All my bones shall say, “Yahweh, who is like you,
    who delivers the poor from him who is too strong for him;
    yes, the poor and the needy from him who robs him?”
11 Unrighteous witnesses rise up.
    They ask me about things that I don’t know about.
12 They reward me evil for good,
    to the bereaving of my soul.

13 But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth.
    I afflicted my soul with fasting.
    My prayer returned into my own bosom.
14 I behaved myself as though it had been my friend or my brother.
    I bowed down mourning, as one who mourns his mother.
15 But in my adversity, they rejoiced, and gathered themselves together.
    The attackers gathered themselves together against me, and I didn’t know it.
    They tore at me, and didn’t cease.
16 Like the profane mockers in feasts,
    they gnashed their teeth at me.
17 Lord, how long will you look on?
    Rescue my soul from their destruction,
    my precious life from the lions.
18 I will give you thanks in the great assembly.
    I will praise you among many people.
19 Don’t let those who are my enemies wrongfully rejoice over me;
    neither let those who hate me without a cause wink their eyes.
20 For they don’t speak peace,
    but they devise deceitful words against those who are quiet in the land.
21 Yes, they opened their mouth wide against me.
    They said, “Aha! Aha! Our eye has seen it!”
22 You have seen it, Yahweh. Don’t keep silent.
    Lord, don’t be far from me.
23 Wake up! Rise up to defend me, my God!
    My Lord, contend for me!
24 Vindicate me, Yahweh my God, according to your righteousness.
    Don’t let them gloat over me.
25 Don’t let them say in their heart, “Aha! That’s the way we want it!”
    Don’t let them say, “We have swallowed him up!”
26 Let them be disappointed and confounded together who rejoice at my calamity.
    Let them be clothed with shame and dishonor who magnify themselves against me.

27 Let those who favor my righteous cause shout for joy and be glad.
    Yes, let them say continually, “May Yahweh be magnified,
    who has pleasure in the prosperity of his servant!”
28 My tongue shall talk about your righteousness and about your praise all day long.

Psalm 35

Of David.

Contend,(A) Lord, with those who contend with me;
    fight(B) against those who fight against me.
Take up shield(C) and armor;
    arise(D) and come to my aid.(E)
Brandish spear(F) and javelin[a](G)
    against those who pursue me.
Say to me,
    “I am your salvation.(H)

May those who seek my life(I)
    be disgraced(J) and put to shame;(K)
may those who plot my ruin
    be turned back(L) in dismay.
May they be like chaff(M) before the wind,
    with the angel of the Lord(N) driving them away;
may their path be dark and slippery,
    with the angel of the Lord pursuing them.

Since they hid their net(O) for me without cause(P)
    and without cause dug a pit(Q) for me,
may ruin overtake them by surprise—(R)
    may the net they hid entangle them,
    may they fall into the pit,(S) to their ruin.
Then my soul will rejoice(T) in the Lord
    and delight in his salvation.(U)
10 My whole being will exclaim,
    “Who is like you,(V) Lord?
You rescue the poor from those too strong(W) for them,
    the poor and needy(X) from those who rob them.”

11 Ruthless witnesses(Y) come forward;
    they question me on things I know nothing about.
12 They repay me evil for good(Z)
    and leave me like one bereaved.
13 Yet when they were ill, I put on sackcloth(AA)
    and humbled myself with fasting.(AB)
When my prayers returned to me unanswered,
14     I went about mourning(AC)
    as though for my friend or brother.
I bowed my head in grief
    as though weeping for my mother.
15 But when I stumbled, they gathered in glee;(AD)
    assailants gathered against me without my knowledge.
    They slandered(AE) me without ceasing.
16 Like the ungodly they maliciously mocked;[b](AF)
    they gnashed their teeth(AG) at me.

17 How long,(AH) Lord, will you look on?
    Rescue me from their ravages,
    my precious life(AI) from these lions.(AJ)
18 I will give you thanks in the great assembly;(AK)
    among the throngs(AL) I will praise you.(AM)
19 Do not let those gloat over me
    who are my enemies(AN) without cause;
do not let those who hate me without reason(AO)
    maliciously wink the eye.(AP)
20 They do not speak peaceably,
    but devise false accusations(AQ)
    against those who live quietly in the land.
21 They sneer(AR) at me and say, “Aha! Aha!(AS)
    With our own eyes we have seen it.”

22 Lord, you have seen(AT) this; do not be silent.
    Do not be far(AU) from me, Lord.
23 Awake,(AV) and rise(AW) to my defense!
    Contend(AX) for me, my God and Lord.
24 Vindicate me in your righteousness, Lord my God;
    do not let them gloat(AY) over me.
25 Do not let them think, “Aha,(AZ) just what we wanted!”
    or say, “We have swallowed him up.”(BA)

26 May all who gloat(BB) over my distress(BC)
    be put to shame(BD) and confusion;
may all who exalt themselves over me(BE)
    be clothed with shame and disgrace.
27 May those who delight in my vindication(BF)
    shout for joy(BG) and gladness;
may they always say, “The Lord be exalted,
    who delights(BH) in the well-being of his servant.”(BI)

28 My tongue will proclaim your righteousness,(BJ)
    your praises all day long.(BK)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 35:3 Or and block the way
  2. Psalm 35:16 Septuagint; Hebrew may mean Like an ungodly circle of mockers,