Psalm 35

Of David.

¹Contend, Lord, with those who contend with me;

fight against those who fight against me.

²Take up shield and armor;

arise and come to my aid.

³Brandish spear and javelin

against those who pursue me.

Say to me,

“I am your salvation.”

⁴May those who seek my life

be disgraced and put to shame;

may those who plot my ruin

be turned back in dismay.

⁵May they be like chaff before the wind,

with the angel of the Lord driving them away;

⁶may their path be dark and slippery,

with the angel of the Lord pursuing them.

⁷Since they hid their net for me without cause

and without cause dug a pit for me,

⁸may ruin overtake them by surprise—

may the net they hid entangle them,

may they fall into the pit, to their ruin.

⁹Then my soul will rejoice in the Lord

and delight in his salvation.

¹⁰My whole being will exclaim,

“Who is like you, Lord?

You rescue the poor from those too strong for them,

the poor and needy from those who rob them.”

¹¹Ruthless witnesses come forward;

they question me on things I know nothing about.

¹²They repay me evil for good

and leave me like one bereaved.

¹³Yet when they were ill, I put on sackcloth

and humbled myself with fasting.

When my prayers returned to me unanswered,

¹⁴I went about mourning

as though for my friend or brother.

I bowed my head in grief

as though weeping for my mother.

¹⁵But when I stumbled, they gathered in glee;

assailants gathered against me without my knowledge.

They slandered me without ceasing.

¹⁶Like the ungodly they maliciously mocked;

they gnashed their teeth at me.

¹⁷How long, Lord, will you look on?

Rescue me from their ravages,

my precious life from these lions.

¹⁸I will give you thanks in the great assembly;

among the throngs I will praise you.

¹⁹Do not let those gloat over me

who are my enemies without cause;

do not let those who hate me without reason

maliciously wink the eye.

²⁰They do not speak peaceably,

but devise false accusations

against those who live quietly in the land.

²¹They sneer at me and say, “Aha! Aha!

With our own eyes we have seen it.”

²²Lord, you have seen this; do not be silent.

Do not be far from me, Lord.

²³Awake, and rise to my defense!

Contend for me, my God and Lord.

²⁴Vindicate me in your righteousness, Lord my God;

do not let them gloat over me.

²⁵Do not let them think, “Aha, just what we wanted!”

or say, “We have swallowed him up.”

²⁶May all who gloat over my distress

be put to shame and confusion;

may all who exalt themselves over me

be clothed with shame and disgrace.

²⁷May those who delight in my vindication

shout for joy and gladness;

may they always say, “The Lord be exalted,

who delights in the well-being of his servant.”

²⁸My tongue will proclaim your righteousness,

your praises all day long.