Psalms 35
35
(A psalm by David.)
A Prayer for Protection from Enemies
1Fight my enemies, Lord!
Attack my attackers!
2Shield me and help me.
3Aim your spear at everyone
who hunts me down,
but promise to save me.
4Let all who want to kill me
be disgraced
and put to shame.
Chase away and confuse
all who plan to harm me.
5Send your angel after them
and let them be like straw
in the wind.
6Make them run in the dark
on a slippery road,
as your angel chases them.
7I did them no harm,
but they hid a net
to trap me,
and they dug a deep pit
to catch and kill me.
8 #
3 Macc 6.21. Surprise them with disaster!
Trap them in their own nets
and let them fall and rot
in the pits they have dug.
9I will celebrate and be joyful
because you, Lord,
have saved me.
10Every bone in my body
will shout:
“No one is like the Lord!”
You protect the helpless
from those in power;
you save the poor and needy
from those who hurt them.
11Liars accuse me of crimes
I know nothing about.
12They repay evil for good,
and I feel all alone.
13When they were sick,
I wore sackcloth#35.13 sackcloth: See the note at 30.11.
and went without food.#35.13 went without food: People sometimes went without food (called “fasting”) to show sorrow.
I truly prayed for them,#35.13 I … them: Or “My prayer wasn't answered, but I prayed.”
14as I would for a friend
or a relative.
I was in sorrow and mourned,
as I would for my mother.
15I have stumbled,
and worthless liars
I don't even know
surround me and sneer.
16Worthless people make fun#35.16 Worthless … fun: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
and never stop laughing.
17But all you do is watch!
When will you do something?
Save me from the attack
of those vicious lions.
18And when your people meet,
I will praise you
and thank you, Lord,
in front of them all.
19 #
Ps 69.4; Jn 15.25. Don't let my brutal enemies
be glad because of me.
They hate me for no reason.
Don't let them wink
behind my back.
20They say hurtful things,
and they lie to people
who want to live in peace.
21They are quick to accuse me.
They say, “You did it!
We saw you ourselves.”
22You see everything, Lord!
Please don't keep silent
or stay so far away.
23Fight to defend me, Lord God,
24and prove that I am right
by your standards.
Don't let them laugh at me
25or say to each other,
“Now we've got what we want!
We'll gobble him up!”
26Disappoint and confuse
all who are glad
to see me in trouble;
disgrace and embarrass
my proud enemies who say to me,
“You are nothing!”
27Let all who want me to win
be happy and joyful.
From now on let them say,
“The Lord is wonderful!
God is glad when all goes well
for his servant.”
28Then I will shout all day,
“Praise the Lord God!
He did what was right.”
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Psalms 35: CEVDCI
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Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)
© 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.
Psalms 35
35
By David.
1Strive, Jehovah, with my strivers, fight with my fighters,
2Take hold of shield and buckler, and rise for my help,
3And draw out spear and lance, To meet my pursuers. Say to my soul, ‘Thy salvation I [am].’
4They are ashamed and blush, those seeking my soul, Turned backward and confounded, Those devising my evil.
5They are as chaff before wind, And a messenger of Jehovah driving away.
6Their way is darkness and slipperiness, And a messenger of Jehovah their pursuer.
7For without cause they hid for me their netpit, Without cause they digged for my soul.
8Meet him doth desolation — he knoweth not, And his net that he hid catcheth him, For desolation he falleth into it.
9And my soul is joyful in Jehovah, It rejoiceth in His salvation.
10All my bones say, ‘Jehovah, who is like Thee, Delivering the poor from the stronger than he, And the poor and needy from his plunderer.’
11Violent witnesses rise up, That which I have not known they ask me.
12They pay me evil for good, bereaving my soul,
13And I — in their sickness my clothing [is] sackcloth, I have humbled with fastings my soul, And my prayer unto my bosom returneth.
14As [if] a friend, as [if] my brother, I walked habitually, As a mourner for a mother, Mourning I have bowed down.
15And — in my halting they have rejoiced, And have been gathered together, Gathered against me were the smiters, And I have not known, They have rent, and they have not ceased;
16With profane ones, mockers in feasts, Gnashing against me their teeth.
17Lord, how long dost thou behold? Keep back my soul from their desolations, From young lions my only one.
18I thank Thee in a great assembly, Among a mighty people I praise Thee.
19Mine enemies rejoice not over me [with] falsehood, Those hating me without cause wink the eye.
20For they speak not peace, And against the quiet of the land, Deceitful words they devise,
21And they enlarge against me their mouth, They said, ‘Aha, aha, our eye hath seen.’
22Thou hast seen, O Jehovah, Be not silent, O Lord — be not far from me,
23Stir up, and wake to my judgment, My God, and my Lord, to my plea.
24Judge me according to Thy righteousness, O Jehovah my God, And they do not rejoice over me.
25They do not say in their heart, ‘Aha, our desire.’ They do not say, ‘We swallowed him up.’
26They are ashamed and confounded together, Who are rejoicing at my evil. They put on shame and confusion, Who are magnifying themselves against me.
27They sing and rejoice, who are desiring my righteousness, And they say continually, ‘Jehovah is magnified, Who is desiring the peace of His servant.’
28And my tongue uttereth Thy righteousness, All the day Thy praise!
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