Psalm 35  Modern English Version

⁴ May those who seek my life
    be ashamed and humiliated;
may those who plan my injury
    be turned back and put to shame.
⁵ May they be as chaff before the wind,
    and may the angel of the Lord cast them down.
⁶ May their way be dark and slippery,
    and may the angel of the Lord pursue them.

⁷ For without cause they have hidden their net for me in a pit,
    which they have dug without cause for my soul.
⁸ Let destruction come on him without warning,
    and let the net that he hid ensnare him;
    let him fall into it, to his destruction.
⁹ My soul will be joyful in the Lord;
    it will rejoice in His salvation.
¹⁰ All my bones will say,
    “Lord, who is like You,
who delivers the poor from a stronger one,
    the poor and the needy from the one who robs them?”

¹¹ Witnesses intent on violence rose up;
    they accused me of things I knew nothing about.
¹² They rewarded me evil for good,
    the bereavement of my soul.
¹³ But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth;
    I humbled my soul with fasting;
and my prayer returns to my own heart.
¹⁴ I paced as though he were my friend or brother;
    I bowed down lamenting,
    as one who mourns for a mother.
¹⁵ But in my adversity they rejoiced and gathered together;
    assailants gathered together against me, though I was unaware;
    they tore me apart and did not stop;
¹⁶ with hypocritical mockers in feasts,
    they gnashed on me with their teeth.

¹⁷ Lord, how long will You look on?
    Rescue my soul from their destructions,
    my life from the lions.
¹⁸ I will give You thanks in the great congregation;
    I will praise You among a mighty people.
¹⁹ May my deceitful enemies
    not rejoice over me;
nor may those who hate me without cause
    wink with their eye.
²⁰ For they do not speak peace,
    but they devise deceitful matters
    against the restful ones in the land.
²¹ They opened their mouth wide against me,
    and said, “Aha, aha, our eye has seen it.”

²² This You have seen, O Lord; do not be silent;
    O Lord, be not far from me.
²³ Rouse Yourself and awake for my judgment,
    for my cause, my God and my Lord.
²⁴ Judge me, O Lord my God, according to Your righteousness,
    and may they not rejoice over me.
²⁵ May they not say in their hearts, “Ah, we have our soul’s desire.”
    May they not say, “We have swallowed him up.”

²⁶ May those who rejoice at my harm be ashamed
    and altogether put to shame;
may they be clothed with shame and dishonor
    who magnify themselves against me.
²⁷ May those who favor my righteous cause
    shout for joy and be glad;
may they say continually, “The Lord be magnified,
    who delights in the peace of His servant.”

²⁸ My tongue will speak of Your righteousness
    and of Your praise all the day long.