Psa 35 | NASB1995 | STEP | A Psalm of David. Contend , O Lord , with those who contend with me; Fight against those who fight against me.

Psalms 35

Prayer for Rescue from Enemies.

A Psalm of David.

1 Contend, O Lord, with those who ^acontend with me;
Fight against those who ^bfight against me.
2 Take hold of ^{▼▼ I.e. small shield
,} ^dbuckler and shield
And rise up for ^emy help.
3 Draw also the spear and ^{▼▼ Or close up the path against those}the battle-axe to meet those who pursue me;
Say to my soul, “I am ^gyour salvation.”
4 Let those be ^hashamed and dishonored who seek my ^{▼▼ Or soul}life;
Let those be ^jturned back and humiliated who devise evil against me.
5 Let them be ^klike chaff before the wind,
With the angel of the Lord driving them on.
6 Let their way be dark and ^lslippery,
With the angel of the Lord pursuing them.
7 For ^mwithout cause they ⁿhid their net for me;
Without cause they dug a ^{▼▼ Pit has been transposed from line above}pit for my soul.
8 Let ^pdestruction come upon him unawares,
And ^qlet the net which he hid catch himself;
Into that very ^rdestruction let him fall.

9 And my soul shall ^srejoice in the Lord;
It shall ^texult in His salvation.
10 All my ^ubones will say, “Lord, ^vwho is like You,
Who delivers the afflicted from him ^wwho is too strong for him,
And ^xthe afflicted and the needy from him who robs him?”
11 ^yMalicious witnesses rise up;
They ask me of things that I do not know.
12 They ^zrepay me evil for good,
To the bereavement of my soul.
13 But as for me, ^aawhen they were sick, my ^abclothing was sackcloth;
I ^achumbled my soul with fasting,
And my ^adprayer kept returning to my bosom.
14 I went about as though it were my friend or brother;
I ^aebowed down ^{▼▼ Or dressed in black}mourning, as one who sorrows for a mother.
15 But ^agat my ^{▼▼ Or limping}stumbling they rejoiced and gathered themselves together;
The ^{▼▼ Or smitten ones
,} ^ajsmiters whom I did not know gathered together against me,
They ^{▼▼ Lit tore
,} ^alslandered me without ceasing.
16 Like godless jesters at a feast,
They ^amgnashed at me with their teeth.

17 Lord, ^anhow long will You look on?
Rescue my soul ^aofrom their ravages,
My ^aponly life from the lions.
18 I will ^aqgive You thanks in the great congregation;
I will ^arpraise You among a mighty throng.
19 ^asDo not let those who are wrongfully ^atmy enemies rejoice over me;
Nor let those ^auwho hate me without cause ^{▼▼ Or wink the eye
,} ^awwink maliciously.
20 For they do not speak peace,
But they devise ^axdeceitful words against those who are quiet in the land.
21 They ^ayopened their mouth wide against me;
They said, ^az“Aha, aha, our eyes have seen it!”

22 ^baYou have seen it, O Lord, ^bbdo not keep silent;
O Lord, ^bcdo not be far from me.
23 ^bdStir up Yourself, and awake to my right
And to my cause, my God and my Lord.
24 ^beJudge me, O Lord my God, according to Your righteousness,
And ^bfdo not let them rejoice over me.
25 Do not let them say in their heart, ^bg“Aha, our desire!”
Do not let them say, “We have ^bhswallowed him up!”
26 Let ^bithose be ashamed and humiliated altogether who rejoice at my distress;
Let those be ^bjclothed with shame and dishonor who ^bkmagnify themselves over me.

27 Let them ^blshout for joy and rejoice, who favor ^bmmy vindication;
And ^bnlet them say continually, “The Lord be magnified,
Who ^bodelights in the prosperity of His servant.”
28 And ^bpmy tongue shall declare Your righteousness
And Your praise all day long.