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
A Psalm of David.
1Plead my cause, O Lord, with my adversaries;
fight those who fight me.
2#Ps 63:1; 84:2 Take hold of the large shield and small shield,
and rise up for my help.
3#Ps 79:10; 80:5 Draw the spear and javelin
against those who pursue me.
Say to my soul,
“I am Your salvation.”
4#Isa 30:29; Ps 62:8 May those who seek my life
be ashamed and humiliated;
may those who plan my injury
be turned back and put to shame.
5#Ps 42:11; 43:5 May they be as chaff before the wind,
and may the angel of the Lord cast them down.
6#2Sa 17:22; Dt 3:8–9 May their way be dark and slippery,
and may the angel of the Lord pursue them.
7#Ps 88:7; Jnh 2:3 For without cause they have hidden their net for me in a pit,
which they have dug without cause for my soul.
8#Job 35:10; Ps 63:6 Let destruction come on him without warning,
and let the net that he hid ensnare him;
let him fall into it, to his destruction.
9#Ps 38:6; 18:2 My soul will be joyful in the Lord;
it will rejoice in His salvation.
10#Ps 42:3; Joel 2:17 All my bones will say,
“Lord, who is like You,
who delivers the poor from a stronger one,
the poor and the needy from the one who robs them?”
11#Ps 42:5; 43:5 Witnesses intent on violence rose up;
they accused me of things I knew nothing about.
12They rewarded me evil for good,
the bereavement of my soul.
13But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth;
I humbled my soul with fasting;
and my prayer returns to my own heart.
14I paced as though he were my friend or brother;
I bowed down lamenting,
as one who mourns for a mother.
15But in my adversity they rejoiced and gathered together;
assailants gathered together against me, though I was unaware;
they tore me apart and did not stop;
16with hypocritical mockers in feasts,
they gnashed on me with their teeth.
17Lord, how long will You look on?
Rescue my soul from their destructions,
my life from the lions.
18I will give You thanks in the great congregation;
I will praise You among a mighty people.
19May my deceitful enemies
not rejoice over me;
nor may those who hate me without cause
wink with their eye.
20For they do not speak peace,
but they devise deceitful matters
against the restful ones in the land.
21They opened their mouth wide against me,
and said, “Aha, aha, our eye has seenit.”
22This You have seen, O Lord; do not be silent;
O Lord, be not far from me.
23Rouse Yourself and awake for my judgment,
for my cause, my God and my Lord.
24Judge me, O Lord my God, according to Your righteousness,
and may they not rejoice over me.
25May they not say in their hearts, “Ah, we have our soul’s desire.”
May they not say, “We have swallowed him up.”
26May those who rejoice at my harm be ashamed
and altogether put to shame;
may they be clothed with shame and dishonor
who magnify themselves against me.
27May those who favor my righteous cause
shout for joy and be glad;
may they say continually, “The Lord be magnified,
who delights in the peace of His servant.”
28My tongue will speak of Your righteousness
and of Your praise all the day long.
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