35 O Lord, fight those fighting me; declare war on them for their attacks on me. ² Put on your armor, take your shield and protect me by standing in front. ³ Lift your spear in my defense, for my pursuers are getting very close. Let me hear you say that you will save me from them. ⁴ Dishonor those who are trying to kill me. Turn them back and confuse them. ⁵ Blow them away like chaff in the wind—wind sent by the Angel of the Lord. ⁶ Make their path dark and slippery before them, with the Angel of the Lord pursuing them. ⁷ For though I did them no wrong, yet they laid a trap for me and dug a pitfall in my path. ⁸ Let them be overtaken by sudden ruin, caught in their own net and destroyed.

¹¹ These evil men swear to a lie. They accuse me of things I have never even heard about. ¹² I do them good, but they return me harm. I am sinking down to death. ¹³ When they were ill, I mourned before the Lord in sackcloth, asking him to make them well; I refused to eat; I prayed for them with utmost earnestness, but God did not listen. ¹⁴ I went about sadly as though it were my mother, friend, or brother who was sick and nearing death. ¹⁵ But now that I am in trouble they are glad; they come together in meetings filled with slander against me—I didn’t even know some of those who were there. ¹⁶ For they gather with the worthless fellows of the town and spend their time cursing me.

¹⁷ Lord, how long will you stand there, doing nothing? Act now and rescue me, for I have but one life and these young lions are out to get it.

²⁵ Don’t let them say, “Aha! Our dearest wish against him will soon be fulfilled!” and, “At last we have him!” ²⁶ Shame them; let these who boast against me and who rejoice at my troubles be themselves overcome by misfortune that strips them bare of everything they own. Bare them to dishonor.