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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Psalms 35: NABRE
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Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc
Tehillim 35
35
(Of Dovid)
1Contend, Hashem, with them that contend with me; fight against them that fight against me.
2Take hold of mogen and tzinnah (large shield) and arise to my aid.
3Draw out also the khanit (spear), and block the way against them that persecute me; say unto my nefesh, I am Thy Yeshu'ah (salvation).
4Let them be put to shame and disgraced that seek after my nefesh; let a rout in retreat be theirs and let them be brought to dismay that plot my ruin.
5Let them be like motz (chaff) before the ruach; and let the Malach Hashem drive them away.
6Let their derech be choshech and slippery; and let the Malach Hashem pursue them.
7For without cause have they hid for me their reshet (net) in a shachat (pit), which without cause they dug for my nefesh.
8Let sho'ah (disaster) come upon him unawares; and let his own reshet (net) that he hath hid ensnare him; into that very sho'ah let him fall.
9And my nefesh shall rejoice in Hashem; it shall be joyful in His Yeshu'ah (salvation).
10All my atzmot shall say, Hashem, mi khamocha (who is like Thee), Who deliverest the oni (poor) from him that is too strong for him, yes, the oni and the evyon (needy) from him that despoileth him?
11Edei chamas (witnesses of violence, false witnesses) rise up; they lay to my charge things, questioning me of that which I have no da'as.
12They repay me ra'ah for tovah to the forlornness of my nefesh.
13But as for me, when they were choleh (ill), my clothing was sackcloth; I humbled my nefesh with tzom (fasting); and my tefillah (prayer) turned back on mine own kheyk (bosom).
14I went about as though he had been my re'a or ach; I bowed in sadness, as one that mourneth for his em.
15But at mine stumbling they rejoiced, and gathered themselves together; yes, the attackers gathered themselves together against me, and I had no da'as; they did tear at me,#35:15 with slander and ceased not:
16Like chanef (hypocritical) mockers at cake, they gnashed upon me with their teeth.
17Adonoi, how long wilt Thou look on? Rescue my nefesh from their destructions, my yechidah (only one, my life) from the lions.
18I will give Thee thanks in the kahal rav (great congregation); I will praise Thee among the mighty throng.
19Let not them that are mine oyevim gloat over me; neither let them wink with the eye that have sinas chinom (baseless hatred) toward me.
20For they speak not shalom, but they scheme divrei mirmot (deceitful matters) against the rigei eretz (them that are quiet in the land).
21Yea, they opened their mouth wide against me, and said, Aha, aha, our eye hath seen it.
22This Thou hast seen, Hashem; keep not silent; Adonoi, be not far from me.
23Stir up Thyself, and awake to my mishpat, even to my cause, Elohai and Adonoi.
24Vindicate me, Hashem Elohai, according to Thy tzedakah; and let them not gloat over me.
25Let them not say in their lev, Ah, so would we have it; let them not say, We have swallowed him up.
26Let them be put to shame and brought to confusion together that gloat at mine ra'ah (disaster, distress); let them be clothed with boshet (shame) and kelimah (dishonor, disgrace) that exalt themselves against me.
27Let them sing for joy, and be glad, that favor my tzedek (righteousness, vindication); yes, let them say tamid (continually), Let Hashem be magnified, which hath pleasure in the shalom (welfare) of His eved.
28And my leshon (tongue) shall speak of Thy tzedek (righteousness) and of Thy tehillah (praise) kol hayom (all the day).
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