Psalm 35–36

Psalm 35

The Lord The Avenger of His People

A Psalm of David.

1 Plead 1my cause, O Lord, with those who strive with me;

Fight against those who fight against me.

2 Take hold of shield and 2buckler,

And stand up for my help.

3 Also draw out the spear,

And stop those who pursue me.

Say to my soul,

“I am your salvation.”

4 aLet those be put to shame and brought to dishonor

Who seek after my life;

Let those be bturned back and brought to confusion

Who plot my hurt.

5 cLet them be like chaff before the wind,

And let the 3angel of the Lord chase them.

6 Let their way be ddark and slippery,

And let the angel of the Lord pursue them.

7 For without cause they have ehidden their net for me in a pit,

Which they have dug without cause for my life.

8 4Let fdestruction come upon him unexpectedly,

And let his net that he has hidden catch himself;

Into that very destruction let him fall.

9 And my soul shall be joyful in the Lord;

It shall rejoice in His salvation.

10 gAll my bones shall say,

“Lord, hwho is like You,

Delivering the poor from him who is too strong for him,

Yes, the poor and the needy from him who plunders him?”

11 Fierce witnesses rise up;

They ask me things that I do not know.

12 iThey reward me evil for good,

To the sorrow of my soul.

13 But as for me, jwhen they were sick,

My clothing was sackcloth;

I humbled myself with fasting;

And my prayer would return to my own 5heart.

14 I paced about as though he were my friend or brother;

I bowed down 6heavily, as one who mourns for his mother.

15 But in my 7adversity they rejoiced

And gathered together;

Attackers gathered against me,

And I did not know it;

They tore at me and did not cease;

16 With ungodly mockers at feasts

They gnashed at me with their teeth.

17 Lord, how long will You klook on?

Rescue me from their destructions,

My precious life from the lions.

18 I will give You thanks in the great assembly;

I will praise You among 8many people.

19 lLet them not rejoice over me who are wrongfully my enemies;

Nor let them wink with the eye who hate me without a cause.

20 For they do not speak peace,

But they devise deceitful matters

Against the quiet ones in the land.

21 They also opened their mouth wide against me,

And said, “Aha, aha!

Our eyes have seen it.”

22 This You have seen, O Lord;

Do not keep silence.

O Lord, do not be far from me.

23 Stir up Yourself, and awake to my vindication,

To my cause, my God and my Lord.

24 Vindicate me, O Lord my God, according to Your righteousness;

And let them not rejoice over me.

25 Let them not say in their hearts, “Ah, so we would have it!”

Let them not say, “We have swallowed him up.”

26 Let them be ashamed and brought to mutual confusion

Who rejoice at my hurt;

Let them be mclothed with shame and dishonor

Who exalt themselves against me.

27 nLet them shout for joy and be glad,

Who favor my righteous cause;

And let them say continually,

“Let the Lord be magnified,

Who has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant.”

28 And my tongue shall speak of Your righteousness

And of Your praise all the day long.

Psalm 36

Man’s Wickedness and God’s Perfections

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David the Servant of the Lord.

1 An oracle within my heart concerning the transgression of the wicked:

aThere is no fear of God before his eyes.

2 For he flatters himself in his own eyes,

When he finds out his iniquity and when he hates.

3 The words of his mouth are wickedness and deceit;

bHe has ceased to be wise and to do good.

4 cHe devises wickedness on his bed;

He sets himself din a way that is not good;

He does not 1abhor eevil.

5 Your mercy, O Lord, is in the heavens;

Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.

6 Your righteousness is like the 2great mountains;

fYour judgments are a great deep;

O Lord, You preserve man and beast.

7 How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God!

Therefore the children of men gput their trust under the shadow of Your wings.

8 hThey are abundantly satisfied with the fullness of Your house,

And You give them drink from ithe river of Your pleasures.

9 jFor with You is the fountain of life;

kIn Your light we see light.

10 Oh, continue Your lovingkindness to those who know You,

And Your righteousness to the upright in heart.

11 Let not the foot of pride come against me,

And let not the hand of the wicked drive me away.

12 There the workers of iniquity have fallen;

They have been cast down and are not able to rise.