1–3  35 Harass these hecklers, God,

punch these bullies in the nose.

Grab a weapon, anything at hand;

stand up for me!

Get ready to throw the spear, aim the javelin,

at the people who are out to get me.

Reassure me; let me hear you say,

“I’ll save you.”

4–8  When those thugs try to knife me in the back,

make them look foolish.

Frustrate all those

who are plotting my downfall.

Make them like cinders in a high wind,

with God’s angel working the bellows.

Make their road lightless and mud-slick,

with God’s angel on their tails.

Out of sheer cussedness they set a trap to catch me;

for no good reason they dug a ditch to stop me.

Surprise them with your ambush—

catch them in the very trap they set,

the disaster they planned for me.

9–10  But let me run loose and free,

celebrating God’s great work,

Every bone in my body laughing, singing, “God,

there’s no one like you.

You put the down-and-out on their feet

and protect the unprotected from bullies!”