Psalm 35

By David. 

1  O Lord, attack those who attack me. 

Fight against those who fight against me. 

2  Use your shields, ⸤both⸥ small and large. 

Arise to help me. 

3  Hold your spear to block the way of those who pursue me. 

Say to my soul, “I am your savior.” 

4  Let those who seek my life be put to shame and disgraced. 

Let those who plan my downfall be turned back in confusion. 

5  Let them be like husks blown by the wind 

as the Messenger of the Lord chases them. 

6  Let their path be dark and slippery 

as the Messenger of the Lord pursues them. 

7  For no reason they hid their net in a pit. 

For no reason they dug the pit ⸤to trap me⸥. 

8  Let destruction surprise them. 

Let the net that they hid catch them. 

Let them fall into their own pit and be destroyed. 

9  My soul will find joy in the Lord 

and be joyful about his salvation. 

10  All my bones will say, “O Lord, who can compare with you? 

You rescue the weak person from the one who is too strong for him 

and weak and needy people from the one who robs them.” 

11  Malicious people bring charges against me. 

They ask me things I know nothing about. 

12  I am devastated 

because they pay me back with evil instead of good. 

13  But when they were sick, I wore sackcloth. 

I humbled myself with fasting. 

When my prayer returned unanswered, 

14  I walked around as if I were mourning for my friend or my brother. 

I was bent over as if I were mourning for my mother. 

15  Yet, when I stumbled, 

they rejoiced and gathered together. 

They gathered together against me. 

Unknown attackers tore me apart without stopping. 

16  With crude and abusive mockers, 

they grit their teeth at me. 

17  O Lord, how long will you look on? 

Rescue me from their attacks. 

Rescue my precious life from the lions. 

18  I will give you thanks in a large gathering. 

I will praise you in a crowd ⸤of worshipers⸥. 

19  Do not let my treacherous enemies gloat over me. 

Do not let those who hate me for no reason wink ⸤at me⸥. 

20  They do not talk about peace. 

Instead, they scheme against the peaceful people in the land. 

21  They open their big mouths and say about me, 

“Aha! Aha! Our own eyes have seen it.” 

22  You have seen it, O Lord. 

Do not remain silent. 

O Lord, do not be so far away from me. 

23  Wake up, and rise to my defense. 

Plead my case, O my God and my Lord. 

24  Judge me by your righteousness, O Lord my God. 

Do not let them gloat over me 

25  or think, “Aha, just what we wanted!” 

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

26  Let those who gloat over my downfall 

be thoroughly put to shame and confused. 

Let those who promote themselves at my expense 

be clothed with shame and disgrace. 

27  Let those who are happy when I am declared innocent 

joyfully sing and rejoice. 

Let them continually say, “The Lord is great. 

He is happy when his servant has peace.” 

28  Then my tongue will tell about your righteousness, 

about your praise all day long.