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: CEV
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Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)
© 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.
Psalms 35
35
A Prayer for Help#Ps 35 Hebrew title: By David.
1Oppose those who oppose me, LORD,
and fight those who fight against me!
2Take your shield and armour
and come to my rescue.
3Lift up your spear and your axe
against those who pursue me.
Promise that you will save me.
4May those who try to kill me
be defeated and disgraced!
May those who plot against me
be turned back and confused!
5May they be like straw blown by the wind
as the angel of the LORD pursues them!
6May their path be dark and slippery
while the angel of the LORD strikes them down!
7Without any reason they laid a trap for me
and dug a deep hole to catch me.
8But destruction will catch them before they know it;
they will be caught in their own trap
and fall to their destruction!
9Then I will be glad because of the LORD;
I will be happy because he saved me.
10With all my heart I will say to the LORD,
“There is no one like you.
You protect the weak from the strong,
the poor from the oppressor.”
11Evil people testify against me
and accuse me of crimes I know nothing about.
12They pay me back evil for good,
and I sink in despair.
13But when they were sick, I dressed in mourning;
I deprived myself of food;
I prayed with my head bowed low,
14as I would pray for a friend or a brother.
I went about bent over in mourning,
as one who mourns for his mother.
15But when I was in trouble, they were all glad
and gathered round to mock me;
strangers beat me
and kept striking me.
16Like those who would mock a cripple,#35.16 Probable text Like those… cripple; Hebrew unclear.
they glared at me with hate.
17How much longer, Lord, will you just look on?
Rescue me from their attacks;
save my life from these lions!
18Then I will thank you in the assembly of your people;
I will praise you before them all.
19 #
Ps 69.4; Jn 15.25 Don't let my enemies, those liars,
gloat over my defeat.
Don't let those who hate me for no reason
smirk with delight over my sorrow.
20They do not speak in a friendly way;
instead they invent all kinds of lies about peace-loving people.
21They accuse me, shouting,
“We saw what you did!”
22But you, O LORD, have seen this.
So don't be silent, Lord;
don't keep yourself far away!
23Rouse yourself, O Lord, and defend me;
rise up, my God, and plead my cause.
24You are righteous, O LORD, so declare me innocent;
don't let my enemies gloat over me.
25Don't let them say to themselves,
“We are rid of him!
That's just what we wanted!”
26May those who gloat over my suffering
be completely defeated and confused;
may those who claim to be better than I am
be covered with shame and disgrace.
27May those who want to see me acquitted
shout for joy and say again and again,
“How great is the LORD!
He is pleased with the success of his servant.”
28Then I will proclaim your righteousness,
and I will praise you all day long.
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Good News Bible. Scripture taken from the Good News Bible (r) (Today's English Version Second Edition, UK/British Edition). Copyright © 1992 British & Foreign Bible Society. Used by permission.