Psalm 35

¹Strive thou, O LORD, with them that strive with me: fight thou against them that fight against me.

²Take hold of shield and buckler, and stand up for mine help.

³Draw out also the spear, and stop the way against them that pursue me: say unto my soul, I am thy salvation.

⁴Let them be ashamed and brought to dishonour that seek after my soul: let them be turned back and confounded that devise my hurt.

⁵Let them be as chaff before the wind, and the angel of the LORD driving themon.

⁶Let their way be dark and slippery, and the angel of the LORD pursuing them.

⁷For without cause have they hid for me their net ina pit, without cause have they digged a pitfor my soul.

⁸Let destruction come upon him at unawares; and let his net that he hath hid catch himself: with destruction let him fall therein.

⁹And my soul shall be joyful in the LORD: it shall rejoice in his salvation.

¹⁰All my bones shall say, LORD, who is like unto thee, which deliverest the poor from him that is too strong for him, yea, the poor and the needy from him that spoileth him?

¹¹Unrighteous witnesses rise up; they ask me of things that I know not.

¹²They reward me evil for good, tothe bereaving of my soul.

¹³But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth: I afflicted my soul with fasting; and my prayer returned into mine own bosom.

¹⁴I behaved myself as though it had been my friend or my brother: I bowed down mourning, as one that bewaileth his mother.

¹⁵But when I halted they rejoiced, and gathered themselves together: the abjects gathered themselves together against me, and I knew itnot; they did tear me, and ceased not:

¹⁶Like the profane mockers in feasts, they gnashed upon me with their teeth.

¹⁷Lord, how long wilt thou look on? rescue my soul from their destructions, my darling from the lions.

¹⁸I will give thee thanks in the great congregation: I will praise thee among much people.

¹⁹Let not them that are mine enemies wrongfully rejoice over me: neither let them wink with the eye that hate me without a cause.

²⁰For they speak not peace: but they devise deceitful words against them that are quiet in the land.

²¹Yea, they opened their mouth wide against me; they said, Aha, aha, our eye hath seen it.

²²Thou hast seen it, O LORD; keep not silence: O Lord, be not far from me.

²³Stir up thyself, and awake to my judgment, evenunto my cause, my God and my Lord.

²⁴Judge me, O LORD my God, 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 confounded together that rejoice at mine hurt: let them be clothed with shame and dishonour that magnify themselves against me.

²⁷Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, The LORD be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.

²⁸And my tongue shall talk of thy righteousness, andof thy praise all the day long.