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35 לְדָוִ֨ד׀ רִיבָ֣ה יְ֭הוָה אֶת־יְרִיבַ֑י לְ֝חַ֗ם אֶת־לֹֽחֲמָֽי׃

הַחֲזֵ֣ק מָגֵ֣ן וְצִנָּ֑ה וְ֝ק֗וּמָה בְּעֶזְרָתִֽי׃

וְהָ֘רֵ֤ק חֲנִ֣ית וּ֭סְגֹר לִקְרַ֣את רֹדְפָ֑י אֱמֹ֥ר לְ֝נַפְשִׁ֗י יְֽשֻׁעָתֵ֥ךְ אָֽנִי׃

יֵבֹ֣שׁוּ וְיִכָּלְמוּ֮ מְבַקְשֵׁ֪י נַ֫פְשִׁ֥י יִסֹּ֣גוּ אָח֣וֹר וְיַחְפְּר֑וּ חֹ֝שְׁבֵ֗י רָעָתִֽי׃

יִֽהְי֗וּ כְּמֹ֥ץ לִפְנֵי־ר֑וּחַ וּמַלְאַ֖ךְ יְהוָ֣ה דּוֹחֶֽה׃

יְֽהִי־דַרְכָּ֗ם חֹ֥שֶׁךְ וַחֲלַקְלַקּ֑וֹת וּמַלְאַ֥ךְ יְ֝הוָ֗ה רֹדְפָֽם׃

כִּֽי־חִנָּ֣ם טָֽמְנוּ־לִ֭י שַׁ֣חַת רִשְׁתָּ֑ם חִ֝נָּ֗ם חָפְר֥וּ לְנַפְשִֽׁי׃

תְּבוֹאֵ֣הוּ שׁוֹאָה֮ לֹֽא־יֵ֫דָ֥ע וְרִשְׁתּ֣וֹ אֲשֶׁר־טָמַ֣ן תִּלְכְּד֑וֹ בְּ֝שׁוֹאָ֗ה יִפָּל־בָּֽהּ׃

וְ֭נַפְשִׁי תָּגִ֣יל בַּיהוָ֑ה תָּ֝שִׂישׂ בִּישׁוּעָתֽוֹ׃

10 כָּ֥ל עַצְמוֹתַ֨י׀ תֹּאמַרְנָה֮ יְהוָ֗ה מִ֥י כָ֫מ֥וֹךָ מַצִּ֣יל עָ֭נִי מֵחָזָ֣ק מִמֶּ֑נּוּ וְעָנִ֥י וְ֝אֶבְי֗וֹן מִגֹּזְלֽוֹ׃

11 יְ֭קוּמוּן עֵדֵ֣י חָמָ֑ס אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹא־יָ֝דַ֗עְתִּי יִשְׁאָלֽוּנִי׃

12 יְשַׁלְּמ֣וּנִי רָ֭עָה תַּ֥חַת טוֹבָ֗ה שְׁכ֣וֹל לְנַפְשִֽׁי׃

13 וַאֲנִ֤י׀ בַּחֲלוֹתָ֡ם לְב֬וּשִׁי שָׂ֗ק עִנֵּ֣יתִי בַצּ֣וֹם נַפְשִׁ֑י וּ֝תְפִלָּתִ֗י עַל־חֵיקִ֥י תָשֽׁוּב׃

14 כְּרֵֽעַ־כְּאָ֣ח לִ֭י הִתְהַלָּ֑כְתִּי כַּאֲבֶל־אֵ֝֗ם קֹדֵ֥ר שַׁחֽוֹתִי׃

15 וּבְצַלְעִי֮ שָׂמְח֪וּ וְֽנֶאֱ֫סָ֥פוּ נֶאֶסְפ֬וּ עָלַ֣י נֵ֭כִים וְלֹ֣א יָדַ֑עְתִּי קָֽרְע֥וּ וְלֹא־דָֽמּוּ׃

16 בְּ֭חַנְפֵי לַעֲגֵ֣י מָע֑וֹג חָרֹ֖ק עָלַ֣י שִׁנֵּֽימוֹ׃

17 אֲדֹנָי֮ כַּמָּ֪ה תִּ֫רְאֶ֥ה הָשִׁ֣יבָה נַ֭פְשִׁי מִשֹּׁאֵיהֶ֑ם מִ֝כְּפִירִ֗ים יְחִידָתִֽי׃

18 א֭וֹדְךָ בְּקָהָ֣ל רָ֑ב בְּעַ֖ם עָצ֣וּם אֲהַֽלְלֶֽךָּ׃

19 אַֽל־יִשְׂמְחוּ־לִ֣י אֹיְבַ֣י שֶׁ֑קֶר שֹׂנְאַ֥י חִ֝נָּ֗ם יִקְרְצוּ־עָֽיִן׃

20 כִּ֤י לֹ֥א שָׁל֗וֹם יְדַ֫בֵּ֥רוּ וְעַ֥ל רִגְעֵי־אֶ֑רֶץ דִּבְרֵ֥י מִ֝רְמוֹת יַחֲשֹׁבֽוּן׃

21 וַיַּרְחִ֥יבוּ עָלַ֗י פִּ֫יהֶ֥ם אָ֭מְרוּ הֶאָ֣ח׀ הֶאָ֑ח רָאֲתָ֥ה עֵינֵֽינוּ׃

22 רָאִ֣יתָה יְ֭הוָה אַֽל־תֶּחֱרַ֑שׁ אֲ֝דֹנָ֗י אֲל־תִּרְחַ֥ק מִמֶּֽנִּי׃

23 הָעִ֣ירָה וְ֭הָקִיצָה לְמִשְׁפָּטִ֑י אֱלֹהַ֖י וַֽאדֹנָ֣י לְרִיבִֽי׃

24 שָׁפְטֵ֣נִי כְ֭צִדְקְךָ יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהָ֗י וְאַל־יִשְׂמְחוּ־לִֽי׃

25 אַל־יֹאמְר֣וּ בְ֭לִבָּם הֶאָ֣ח נַפְשֵׁ֑נוּ אַל־יֹ֝אמְר֗וּ בִּֽלַּעֲנֽוּהוּ׃

26 יֵ֘בֹ֤שׁוּ וְיַחְפְּר֨וּ׀ יַחְדָּו֮ שְׂמֵחֵ֪י רָעָ֫תִ֥י יִֽלְבְּשׁוּ־בֹ֥שֶׁת וּכְלִמָּ֑ה הַֽמַּגְדִּילִ֥ים עָלָֽי׃

27 יָרֹ֣נּוּ וְיִשְׂמְחוּ֮ חֲפֵצֵ֪י צִ֫דְקִ֥י וְיֹאמְר֣וּ תָ֭מִיד יִגְדַּ֣ל יְהוָ֑ה הֶ֝חָפֵ֗ץ שְׁל֣וֹם עַבְדּֽוֹ׃

28 וּ֭לְשׁוֹנִי תֶּהְגֶּ֣ה צִדְקֶ֑ךָ כָּל־הַ֝יּוֹם תְּהִלָּתֶֽךָ׃

Psalm 35

Of David.

Contend,(A) Lord, with those who contend with me;
    fight(B) against those who fight against me.
Take up shield(C) and armor;
    arise(D) and come to my aid.(E)
Brandish spear(F) and javelin[a](G)
    against those who pursue me.
Say to me,
    “I am your salvation.(H)

May those who seek my life(I)
    be disgraced(J) and put to shame;(K)
may those who plot my ruin
    be turned back(L) in dismay.
May they be like chaff(M) before the wind,
    with the angel of the Lord(N) driving them away;
may their path be dark and slippery,
    with the angel of the Lord pursuing them.

Since they hid their net(O) for me without cause(P)
    and without cause dug a pit(Q) for me,
may ruin overtake them by surprise—(R)
    may the net they hid entangle them,
    may they fall into the pit,(S) to their ruin.
Then my soul will rejoice(T) in the Lord
    and delight in his salvation.(U)
10 My whole being will exclaim,
    “Who is like you,(V) Lord?
You rescue the poor from those too strong(W) for them,
    the poor and needy(X) from those who rob them.”

11 Ruthless witnesses(Y) come forward;
    they question me on things I know nothing about.
12 They repay me evil for good(Z)
    and leave me like one bereaved.
13 Yet when they were ill, I put on sackcloth(AA)
    and humbled myself with fasting.(AB)
When my prayers returned to me unanswered,
14     I went about mourning(AC)
    as though for my friend or brother.
I bowed my head in grief
    as though weeping for my mother.
15 But when I stumbled, they gathered in glee;(AD)
    assailants gathered against me without my knowledge.
    They slandered(AE) me without ceasing.
16 Like the ungodly they maliciously mocked;[b](AF)
    they gnashed their teeth(AG) at me.

17 How long,(AH) Lord, will you look on?
    Rescue me from their ravages,
    my precious life(AI) from these lions.(AJ)
18 I will give you thanks in the great assembly;(AK)
    among the throngs(AL) I will praise you.(AM)
19 Do not let those gloat over me
    who are my enemies(AN) without cause;
do not let those who hate me without reason(AO)
    maliciously wink the eye.(AP)
20 They do not speak peaceably,
    but devise false accusations(AQ)
    against those who live quietly in the land.
21 They sneer(AR) at me and say, “Aha! Aha!(AS)
    With our own eyes we have seen it.”

22 Lord, you have seen(AT) this; do not be silent.
    Do not be far(AU) from me, Lord.
23 Awake,(AV) and rise(AW) to my defense!
    Contend(AX) for me, my God and Lord.
24 Vindicate me in your righteousness, Lord my God;
    do not let them gloat(AY) over me.
25 Do not let them think, “Aha,(AZ) just what we wanted!”
    or say, “We have swallowed him up.”(BA)

26 May all who gloat(BB) over my distress(BC)
    be put to shame(BD) and confusion;
may all who exalt themselves over me(BE)
    be clothed with shame and disgrace.
27 May those who delight in my vindication(BF)
    shout for joy(BG) and gladness;
may they always say, “The Lord be exalted,
    who delights(BH) in the well-being of his servant.”(BI)

28 My tongue will proclaim your righteousness,(BJ)
    your praises all day long.(BK)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 35:3 Or and block the way
  2. Psalm 35:16 Septuagint; Hebrew may mean Like an ungodly circle of mockers,

A Prayer for Help[a]

35 Oppose those who oppose me, Lord,
    and fight those who fight against me!
Take your shield and armor
    and come to my rescue.
Lift up your spear and war ax
    against those who pursue me.
Promise that you will save me.

May those who try to kill me
    be defeated and disgraced!
May those who plot against me
    be turned back and confused!
May they be like straw blown by the wind
    as the angel of the Lord pursues them!
May their path be dark and slippery
    while the angel of the Lord strikes them down!

Without any reason they laid a trap for me
    and dug a deep hole to catch me.
But destruction will catch them before they know it;
    they will be caught in their own trap
    and fall to their destruction!

Then I will be glad because of the Lord;
    I will be happy because he saved me.
10 With all my heart I will say to the Lord,
    “There is no one like you.
    You protect the weak from the strong,
    the poor from the oppressor.”

11 Evil people testify against me
    and accuse me of crimes I know nothing about.
12 They pay me back evil for good,
    and I sink in despair.
13 But when they were sick, I dressed in mourning;
    I deprived myself of food;
I prayed with my head bowed low,
14     as I would pray for a friend or a brother.
I went around bent over in mourning,
    as one who mourns for his mother.

15 But when I was in trouble, they were all glad
    and gathered around to make fun of me;
strangers beat me
    and kept striking me.
16 Like those who would mock a cripple,[b]
    they glared at me with hate.

17 How much longer, Lord, will you just look on?
    Rescue me from their attacks;
    save my life from these lions!
18 Then I will thank you in the assembly of your people;
    I will praise you before them all.

19 (A)Don't let my enemies, those liars,
    gloat over my defeat.
Don't let those who hate me for no reason
    smirk with delight over my sorrow.

20 They do not speak in a friendly way;
    instead they invent all kinds of lies about peace-loving people.
21 They accuse me, shouting,
    “We saw what you did!”
22 But you, O Lord, have seen this.
    So don't be silent, Lord;
    don't keep yourself far away!
23 Rouse yourself, O Lord, and defend me;
    rise up, my God, and plead my cause.
24 You are righteous, O Lord, so declare me innocent;
    don't let my enemies gloat over me.
25 Don't let them say to themselves,
    “We are rid of him!
    That's just what we wanted!”

26 May those who gloat over my suffering
    be completely defeated and confused;
may those who claim to be better than I am
    be covered with shame and disgrace.

27 May those who want to see me acquitted
    shout for joy and say again and again,
“How great is the Lord!
    He is pleased with the success of his servant.”
28 Then I will proclaim your righteousness,
    and I will praise you all day long.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 35:1 HEBREW TITLE: By David.
  2. Psalm 35:16 Probable text Like those … cripple; Hebrew unclear.

Psalm 35

A psalm of David.

O Lord, oppose those who oppose me.
    Fight those who fight against me.
Put on your armor, and take up your shield.
    Prepare for battle, and come to my aid.
Lift up your spear and javelin
    against those who pursue me.
Let me hear you say,
    “I will give you victory!”
Bring shame and disgrace on those trying to kill me;
    turn them back and humiliate those who want to harm me.
Blow them away like chaff in the wind—
    a wind sent by the angel of the Lord.
Make their path dark and slippery,
    with the angel of the Lord pursuing them.
I did them no wrong, but they laid a trap for me.
    I did them no wrong, but they dug a pit to catch me.
So let sudden ruin come upon them!
    Let them be caught in the trap they set for me!
    Let them be destroyed in the pit they dug for me.

Then I will rejoice in the Lord.
    I will be glad because he rescues me.
10 With every bone in my body I will praise him:
    Lord, who can compare with you?
Who else rescues the helpless from the strong?
    Who else protects the helpless and poor from those who rob them?”

11 Malicious witnesses testify against me.
    They accuse me of crimes I know nothing about.
12 They repay me evil for good.
    I am sick with despair.
13 Yet when they were ill, I grieved for them.
    I denied myself by fasting for them,
    but my prayers returned unanswered.
14 I was sad, as though they were my friends or family,
    as if I were grieving for my own mother.
15 But they are glad now that I am in trouble;
    they gleefully join together against me.
I am attacked by people I don’t even know;
    they slander me constantly.
16 They mock me and call me names;
    they snarl at me.

17 How long, O Lord, will you look on and do nothing?
    Rescue me from their fierce attacks.
    Protect my life from these lions!
18 Then I will thank you in front of the great assembly.
    I will praise you before all the people.
19 Don’t let my treacherous enemies rejoice over my defeat.
    Don’t let those who hate me without cause gloat over my sorrow.
20 They don’t talk of peace;
    they plot against innocent people who mind their own business.
21 They shout, “Aha! Aha!
    With our own eyes we saw him do it!”

22 O Lord, you know all about this.
    Do not stay silent.
    Do not abandon me now, O Lord.
23 Wake up! Rise to my defense!
    Take up my case, my God and my Lord.
24 Declare me not guilty, O Lord my God, for you give justice.
    Don’t let my enemies laugh about me in my troubles.
25 Don’t let them say, “Look, we got what we wanted!
    Now we will eat him alive!”

26 May those who rejoice at my troubles
    be humiliated and disgraced.
May those who triumph over me
    be covered with shame and dishonor.
27 But give great joy to those who came to my defense.
    Let them continually say, “Great is the Lord,
    who delights in blessing his servant with peace!”
28 Then I will proclaim your justice,
    and I will praise you all day long.

Psalm 35

A song of David.

Make a case against those who struggle with me, Eternal One.
    Battle against those who battle against me.
Be my shield and protection;
    stand with me and rescue me!
Draw the spear and javelin
    to meet my pursuers.
Reassure my soul and say,
    “I will deliver you.”

Shame and dishonor those ruthless enemies
    who wish to end my life.
Turn back those who conspire against me,
    defeated and humiliated!
Let them be separated from the righteous as chaff is separated from the grain,
    blown by the wind,
    driven far, far away by the Eternal’s messenger.
Make their way unsure and dangerously dark,
    a gauntlet of gloom
    chased through the darkness by the Eternal’s messenger.

For no reason at all, they set a trap for me—a net, a snare—
    then, without cause, they disguised a pit to capture my soul—another cowardly snare.
May they be surprised by their own destruction.
May they become tangled in their own net
    and fall into the pit which they, themselves, dug.

When that day comes, my soul will celebrate the Eternal
    and be glad in His salvation.
10 Every fiber of my being[a] will shout,
    “Eternal One, there is none like You!
You save the poor
    from those who try to overpower them
    and rescue the weak and the needy from those who steal from them.”

11 False witnesses step forward;
    they ask me strange questions for which I have no answers.
12 When I do good to them, they do evil to me,
    bringing misery to my soul.
13 When they were sick,
    I mourned for them and wore sackcloth;
I chose to humble myself by fasting.
    But my prayers came back unanswered.
14 So I mourned more deeply as if I grieved for my brother or friend;
    I went around bowed down by sorrow, dressed in black,
    as if I were weeping for my mother.
15 But when I stumbled, they gathered together
    and celebrated my fall with joy;
People attacked me when I wasn’t expecting it;
    they slandered me with no end.
16 Like godless mockers at a festival,[b]
    their words tore at me.

17 Lord, how long will You do nothing but watch?
    Save me from their evil assaults, plots, and plunder;
    rescue my life from these hungry beasts, these ruthless lions!
18 Then I will praise You and thank You at the great gathering,
    in the company of the entire congregation.

19 Do not allow my enemies to boast at my expense,
    for they despise me without any cause—[c]
    yet they wink at me—malicious, taunting winks.
20 Their words have no ring of peace.
    They plan evil rumors and incriminations
    against those who live peacefully in the land.
21 They speak lying accusations against me;
    they say, “Aha! Aha! We know what you’ve been up to.
    We’ve seen it with our own eyes!”

22 You have seen what’s happening, Eternal One; don’t remain silent!
    Lord, do not stay far away from me!
23 Wake up; come to my defense!
    Fight for me, my Lord and my God!
24 Pass Your judgment, Eternal One, my True God;
    do it by the standards of Your righteousness.
    Do not allow my enemies to boast over me.
25 Do not allow them to gloat over me,
    “Aha, we have won! We got what we wanted!”
Do not allow them to brag,
    “We chewed him up and spit him out.”

26 Shame and confuse those who celebrate my suffering;
    may those who exalt themselves above me be covered with shame—
    wrapped in a cloak of dishonor!

27 As for those who desire my vindication,
    may they be joyful and glad.
    May they forever say,
“The Eternal is indeed great!
    He takes pleasure when good things happen to His servant!”
28 That’s why I will speak of Your righteousness
    and sing praises to You all day long.

Footnotes

  1. 35:10 Literally, all my bones
  2. 35:16 Greek manuscripts read, “Like the godless they cruelly mocked.”
  3. 35:19 John 15:25