Psalms 35
35
Prayer for Help Against Unjust Enemies
1Of David.
I
#The mixture of judicial, martial, and hunting images shows that the language is figurative. The actual injustice is false accusation of serious crimes (Ps 35:11, 15, 20–21). The psalmist seeks lost honor through a trial before God.Oppose, O Lord, those who oppose me;
war upon those who make war upon me.
2Take up the shield and buckler;
rise up in my defense.
3Brandish lance and battle-ax
against my pursuers.
Say to my soul,
“I am your salvation.”
4Let those who seek my life
be put to shame and disgrace.
Let those who plot evil against me#Ps 40:15; 71:13.
be turned back and confounded.
5Make them like chaff before the wind,#Ps 1:4; 83:14; Jb 21:18.
with the angel of the Lord driving them on.
6Make their way slippery and dark,
with the angel of the Lord pursuing them.
II
7Without cause they set their snare for me;
without cause they dug a pit for me.
8Let ruin overtake them unawares;
let the snare they have set catch them;
let them fall into the pit they have dug.#Ps 7:16; 9:16; 57:7; Prv 26:27; Eccl 10:8; Sir 27:26.
9Then I will rejoice in the Lord,
exult in God’s salvation.
10My very bones shall say,
“O Lord, who is like you,#Ps 86:8; 89:7, 9; Ex 15:11.
Who rescue the afflicted from the powerful,
the afflicted and needy from the despoiler?”
III
11Malicious witnesses rise up,
accuse me of things I do not know.
12They repay me evil for good;
my soul is desolate.#Ps 27:12; 38:20–21; 109:5; Jer 18:20.
13#35:13, 15–17] The Hebrew is obscure.Yet I, when they were ill, put on sackcloth,
afflicted myself with fasting,
sobbed my prayers upon my bosom.
14I went about in grief as for my brother,
bent in mourning as for my mother.
15Yet when I stumbled they gathered with glee,
gathered against me and I did not know it.
They slandered me without ceasing;
16without respect they mocked me,
gnashed their teeth against me.
IV
17O Lord, how long will you look on?
Restore my soul from their destruction,
my very life from lions!#Ps 17:12; 22:22; 58:7.
18Then I will thank you in the great assembly;
I will praise you before the mighty throng.#Ps 22:23; 26:12; 35:18; 40:10; 149:1.
19Do not let lying foes rejoice over me,
my undeserved enemies wink knowingly.#Ps 38:17.
20They speak no words of peace,
but against the quiet in the land
they fashion deceitful speech.#Ps 120:6–7.
21They open wide their mouths against me.
They say, “Aha! Good!
Our eyes have seen it!”#Ps 40:16; Lam 2:16.
22You see this, Lord; do not be silent;#Ps 22:12; 38:21; 109:1.
Lord, do not withdraw from me.
23Awake, be vigilant in my defense,
in my cause, my God and my Lord.
24Defend me because you are just, Lord;
my God, do not let them rejoice over me.
25Do not let them say in their hearts,
“Aha! Our soul!”#Aha! Our soul!: an ancient idiomatic expression meaning that we have attained what we wanted.
Do not let them say,
“We have devoured that one!”
26Put to shame and confound
all who relish my misfortune.
Clothe with shame and disgrace
those who lord it over me.
27But let those who favor my just cause
shout for joy and be glad.
May they ever say, “Exalted be the Lord
who delights in the peace of his loyal servant.”
28Then my tongue shall recount your justice,
declare your praise, all the day long.#Ps 71:15–16.
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Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc
Psalms 35
35
PSALM 35
A Psalm of David.
1Strive, O Jehovah, with them that strive with me; fight against them that fight against me: 2Take hold of shield and buckler, and stand up for my help; 3And draw out the spear, and stop the way against my pursuers: say unto my soul, I am thy salvation. 4Let them be put to shame and confounded that seek after my life; let them be turned backward and brought to confusion that devise my hurt: 5Let them be as chaff before the wind, and let the angel of Jehovah drive them away; 6Let their way be dark and slippery, and let the angel of Jehovah pursue them. 7For without cause have they hidden for me their net in a pit; without cause they have digged it for my soul. 8Let destruction come upon him unawares, and let his net which he hath hidden catch himself: for destruction let him fall therein. 9And my soul shall be joyful in Jehovah; it shall rejoice in his salvation. 10All my bones shall say, Jehovah, who is like unto thee, who deliverest the afflicted from one stronger than he, yea, the afflicted and the needy from him that spoileth him!
11Unrighteous witnesses rise up; they lay to my charge things which I know not. 12They reward me evil for good, to the bereavement of my soul. 13But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth; I chastened my soul with fasting, and my prayer returned into mine own bosom: 14I behaved myself as though he had been a friend, a brother to me; I bowed down in sadness, as one that mourneth for a mother. 15But at my halting they rejoiced, and gathered together: the slanderers gathered themselves together against me, and I knew it not; they did tear me, and ceased not: 16With profane jesters for bread, they have gnashed their teeth against me.
17Lord, how long wilt thou look on? Rescue my soul from their destructions, my only one from the young lions. 18I will give thee thanks in the great congregation; I will praise thee among much people. 19Let not them that are wrongfully mine enemies rejoice over me; let them not wink with the eye that hate me without cause. 20For they speak not peace; and they devise deceitful words against the quiet in the land. 21And they opened their mouth wide against me; they said, Aha! aha! our eye hath seen it. 22Thou hast seen it, Jehovah: keep not silence; O Lord, be not far from me. 23Stir up thyself, and awake for my right, for my cause, my God#GodHebrew: Elohim and Lord! 24Judge me, Jehovah my God#GodHebrew: Elohim according to thy righteousness, and let them not rejoice over me. 25Let them not say in their heart, Aha! so would we have it. Let them not say, We have swallowed him up. 26Let them be ashamed and brought to confusion together that rejoice at mine adversity; let them be clothed with shame and dishonour that magnify themselves against me. 27Let them exult and rejoice that delight in my righteousness; and let them say continually, Jehovah be magnified, who delighteth in the prosperity of his servant. 28And my tongue shall talk of thy righteousness, and of thy praise, all the day.
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First published in 1890. This edition is maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.