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
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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