Psalms 35

Prayer for Rescue from Enemies.

A Psalm of David.

1 Contend, 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 as ^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 ^mthey ⁿhid their net for me without cause;
Without cause they dug a pit for my soul.
8 Let ^odestruction come upon him when he is unaware,
And ^plet the net which he hid catch him;
Let him fall into that very ^qdestruction.

9 So my soul shall ^rrejoice in the Lord;
It shall ^srejoice in His salvation.
10 All my ^tbones will say, “Lord, ^uwho is like You,
Who rescues the afflicted from one ^vwho is too strong for him,
And ^wthe afflicted and the poor from one who robs him?”
11 ^xMalicious witnesses rise up;
They ask me things that I do not know.
12 They ^yrepay me evil for good,
To the bereavement of my soul.
13 But as for me, ^zwhen they were sick, my ^aaclothing was sackcloth;
I ^abhumbled my soul with fasting,
But my ^acprayer kept returning to ▼

▼Lit my chest

me.
14 I went about as though it were my friend or brother;
I ^aebowed down ▼

▼Or dressed for mourning

in mourning, like one who mourns for a mother.
15 But ^agat my ▼

▼Or limping

stumbling they rejoiced and gathered themselves together;
The ▼

▼Or struck ones

, ^ajafflicted people 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 people.
19 ^asDo not let those who are wrongfully ^atmy enemies rejoice over me;
Nor let those ^auwho hate me for no reason ▼

▼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, “ ^azAha, aha! Our eyes have seen it!”

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

27 May those ^blshout for joy and rejoice, who take delight in ^bmmy vindication;
And ^bnmay they say continually, “The Lord be exalted,
Who ^bodelights in the prosperity of His servant.”
28 And ^bpmy tongue shall proclaim Your righteousness
And Your praise all day long.