Psalm 35 Expanded Bible
A Prayer for Help
Of David.
35 Lord, ·battle with [contend with; accuse; bring a charge against] those who ·battle with [contend with; accuse; bring a charge against] me.
Fight against those who fight against me.
2 Pick up the ·shield and armor [L small shield and large shield].
Rise up and help me.
3 Lift up your ·spears [javelins], both large and small,
against those who ·chase [pursue] me.
Tell ·me [L my soul], “I ·will save you [am your salvation/victory].”
4 Make those who ·want to kill me [L seek my life/soul]
be ashamed and ·disgraced [humiliated].
Make those who ·plan to harm me [plot evil against me]
turn back and ·run away [be dismayed].
5 Make them like chaff [C the worthless leftovers from threshing grain] blown by the wind
as the angel of the Lord ·forces [drives] them away.
6 Let their road be dark and slippery
as the angel of the Lord chases them.
7 For no reason they ·spread out [L hid] their ·net [L pit] to trap me;
for no reason they dug a pit for me.
8 So let ruin strike them ·suddenly [or without their awareness].
Let them be caught in their own nets;
let them fall into the pit and ·die [be ruined].
9 Then ·I [my soul] will rejoice in the Lord;
I will be happy when he ·saves me [provides victory for me].
10 Even my bones will say,
“Lord, who is like you?
You ·save [rescue; T deliver] the ·weak [afflicted; or poor] from the strong,
the ·weak [afflicted; or poor] and poor from robbers.”
11 ·Men without mercy stand up to testify [L Violent witnesses rise up].
They ask me things I do not know.
12 They repay me with evil for the good I have done,
and ·they make me very sad [my soul is bereaved].
13 Yet when they were sick, I put on ·clothes of sadness [sackcloth; burlap]
and showed my sorrow by fasting.
But my prayers ·were not answered [L turned back on my bosom].
14 I acted as if they were my ·friends [or neighbors] or brothers.
I ·bowed in sadness as if I were crying [went around as if mourning] for my mother.
15 But when I ·was in trouble [stumbled], they gathered and laughed;
they gathered to attack before I knew it.
They ·insulted [tore at] me without stopping.
16 They made fun of me and were cruel to me
and ·ground [gnashed] their teeth at me in anger.
17 Lord, how long will you watch this happen?
Save my life from their attacks;
·save me from these people who are like [L my life from the] lions.
18 I will ·praise [thank] you in the great ·meeting [assembly].
I will praise you among ·crowds of people [the mighty crowd/throng].
19 Do not let my enemies ·laugh at [rejoice over] me;
they hate me for no reason.
Do not let them ·make fun of me [L wink their eye at me; C a reference to secretive plans or magic; Prov. 6:12–13];
they have no cause to hate me.
20 Their words are not ·friendly [peaceful]
but are lies ·about [or against] ·peace-loving people [L the quiet in the land].
21 They ·speak against me [L open their mouths]
and say, “Aha! ·We saw what you did [Our eyes have seen it]!”
22 Lord, you have been watching. Do not keep quiet.
Lord, do not ·leave me alone [L be far from me].
23 Wake up! ·Come [Arouse yourself] and ·defend [vindicate; show justice to] me!
My God and Lord, ·fight [contend] for me!
24 Lord my God, ·defend [vindicate] me with your justice.
Don’t let them ·laugh at [rejoice over] me.
25 Don’t let them ·think [L say in their hearts], “Aha! We got what we wanted!”
Don’t let them say, “We ·destroyed [L swallowed] him.”
26 Let them be ashamed and ·embarrassed [humiliated],
because they ·were happy [rejoiced] when I hurt.
·Cover [L Clothe] them with shame and disgrace,
because they thought they were better than I was.
27 May ·my friends [L those who want my vindication] sing and shout for joy.
May they always say, “Praise the greatness of the Lord,
who ·loves [delights; takes pleasure] to see ·his servants do well [L the peace/prosperity of his servant].”
28 ·I [L My tongue] will tell of your goodness
and will praise you every day.
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.
