Psalm 35
Expanded Bible
A Prayer for Help
Of David.
35 Lord, ·battle with [contend with; accuse; bring a charge against] those who ·battle with [contend with; accuse; bring a charge against] me.
Fight against those who fight against me.
2 Pick up the ·shield and armor [L small shield and large shield].
Rise up and help me.
3 Lift up your ·spears [javelins], both large and small,
against those who ·chase [pursue] me.
Tell ·me [L my soul], “I ·will save you [am your salvation/victory].”
4 Make those who ·want to kill me [L seek my life/soul]
be ashamed and ·disgraced [humiliated].
Make those who ·plan to harm me [plot evil against me]
turn back and ·run away [be dismayed].
5 Make them like chaff [C the worthless leftovers from threshing grain] blown by the wind
as the angel of the Lord ·forces [drives] them away.
6 Let their road be dark and slippery
as the angel of the Lord chases them.
7 For no reason they ·spread out [L hid] their ·net [L pit] to trap me;
for no reason they dug a pit for me.
8 So let ruin strike them ·suddenly [or without their awareness].
Let them be caught in their own nets;
let them fall into the pit and ·die [be ruined].
9 Then ·I [my soul] will rejoice in the Lord;
I will be happy when he ·saves me [provides victory for me].
10 Even my bones will say,
“Lord, who is like you?
You ·save [rescue; T deliver] the ·weak [afflicted; or poor] from the strong,
the ·weak [afflicted; or poor] and poor from robbers.”
11 ·Men without mercy stand up to testify [L Violent witnesses rise up].
They ask me things I do not know.
12 They repay me with evil for the good I have done,
and ·they make me very sad [my soul is bereaved].
13 Yet when they were sick, I put on ·clothes of sadness [sackcloth; burlap]
and showed my sorrow by fasting.
But my prayers ·were not answered [L turned back on my bosom].
14 I acted as if they were my ·friends [or neighbors] or brothers.
I ·bowed in sadness as if I were crying [went around as if mourning] for my mother.
15 But when I ·was in trouble [stumbled], they gathered and laughed;
they gathered to attack before I knew it.
They ·insulted [tore at] me without stopping.
16 They made fun of me and were cruel to me
and ·ground [gnashed] their teeth at me in anger.
17 Lord, how long will you watch this happen?
Save my life from their attacks;
·save me from these people who are like [L my life from the] lions.
18 I will ·praise [thank] you in the great ·meeting [assembly].
I will praise you among ·crowds of people [the mighty crowd/throng].
19 Do not let my enemies ·laugh at [rejoice over] me;
they hate me for no reason.
Do not let them ·make fun of me [L wink their eye at me; C a reference to secretive plans or magic; Prov. 6:12–13];
they have no cause to hate me.
20 Their words are not ·friendly [peaceful]
but are lies ·about [or against] ·peace-loving people [L the quiet in the land].
21 They ·speak against me [L open their mouths]
and say, “Aha! ·We saw what you did [Our eyes have seen it]!”
22 Lord, you have been watching. Do not keep quiet.
Lord, do not ·leave me alone [L be far from me].
23 Wake up! ·Come [Arouse yourself] and ·defend [vindicate; show justice to] me!
My God and Lord, ·fight [contend] for me!
24 Lord my God, ·defend [vindicate] me with your justice.
Don’t let them ·laugh at [rejoice over] me.
25 Don’t let them ·think [L say in their hearts], “Aha! We got what we wanted!”
Don’t let them say, “We ·destroyed [L swallowed] him.”
26 Let them be ashamed and ·embarrassed [humiliated],
because they ·were happy [rejoiced] when I hurt.
·Cover [L Clothe] them with shame and disgrace,
because they thought they were better than I was.
27 May ·my friends [L those who want my vindication] sing and shout for joy.
May they always say, “Praise the greatness of the Lord,
who ·loves [delights; takes pleasure] to see ·his servants do well [L the peace/prosperity of his servant].”
28 ·I [L My tongue] will tell of your goodness
and will praise you every day.
Salmi 35
Conferenza Episcopale Italiana
Preghiera di un giusto perseguitato
35 Di Davide.
Signore, giudica chi mi accusa,
combatti chi mi combatte.
2 Afferra i tuoi scudi
e sorgi in mio aiuto.
3 Vibra la lancia e la scure
contro chi mi insegue,
dimmi: «Sono io la tua salvezza».
4 Siano confusi e coperti di ignominia
quelli che attentano alla mia vita;
retrocedano e siano umiliati
quelli che tramano la mia sventura.
5 Siano come pula al vento
e l'angelo del Signore li incalzi;
6 la loro strada sia buia e scivolosa
quando li insegue l'angelo del Signore.
7 Poiché senza motivo mi hanno teso una rete,
senza motivo mi hanno scavato una fossa.
8 Li colga la bufera improvvisa,
li catturi la rete che hanno tesa,
siano travolti dalla tempesta.
9 Io invece esulterò nel Signore
per la gioia della sua salvezza.
10 Tutte le mie ossa dicano:
«Chi è come te, Signore,
che liberi il debole dal più forte,
il misero e il povero dal predatore?».
11 Sorgevano testimoni violenti,
mi interrogavano su ciò che ignoravo,
12 mi rendevano male per bene:
una desolazione per la mia vita.
13 Io, quand'erano malati, vestivo di sacco,
mi affliggevo col digiuno,
riecheggiava nel mio petto la mia preghiera.
14 Mi angustiavo come per l'amico, per il fratello,
come in lutto per la madre mi prostravo nel dolore.
15 Ma essi godono della mia caduta, si radunano,
si radunano contro di me per colpirmi all'improvviso.
Mi dilaniano senza posa,
16 mi mettono alla prova, scherno su scherno,
contro di me digrignano i denti.
17 Fino a quando, Signore, starai a guardare?
Libera la mia vita dalla loro violenza,
dalle zanne dei leoni l'unico mio bene.
18 Ti loderò nella grande assemblea,
ti celebrerò in mezzo a un popolo numeroso.
19 Non esultino su di me i nemici bugiardi,
non strizzi l'occhio chi mi odia senza motivo.
20 Poiché essi non parlano di pace,
contro gli umili della terra tramano inganni.
21 Spalancano contro di me la loro bocca;
dicono con scherno: «Abbiamo visto con i nostri occhi!».
22 Signore, tu hai visto, non tacere;
Dio, da me non stare lontano.
23 Dèstati, svègliati per il mio giudizio,
per la mia causa, Signore mio Dio.
24 Giudicami secondo la tua giustizia, Signore mio Dio,
e di me non abbiano a gioire.
25 Non pensino in cuor loro: «Siamo soddisfatti!».
Non dicano: «Lo abbiamo divorato».
26 Sia confuso e svergognato chi gode della mia sventura,
sia coperto di vergogna e d'ignominia chi mi insulta.
27 Esulti e gioisca chi ama il mio diritto,
dica sempre: «Grande è il Signore
che vuole la pace del suo servo».
28 La mia lingua celebrerà la tua giustizia,
canterà la tua lode per sempre.
Psalm 35
New King James Version
The Lord the Avenger of His People
A Psalm of David.
35 Plead[a] my cause, O Lord, with those who strive with me;
Fight against those who fight against me.
2 Take hold of shield and [b]buckler,
And stand up for my help.
3 Also draw out the spear,
And stop those who pursue me.
Say to my soul,
“I am your salvation.”
4 (A)Let those be put to shame and brought to dishonor
Who seek after my life;
Let those be (B)turned back and brought to confusion
Who plot my hurt.
5 (C)Let them be like chaff before the wind,
And let the [c]angel of the Lord chase them.
6 Let their way be (D)dark and slippery,
And let the angel of the Lord pursue them.
7 For without cause they have (E)hidden their net for me in a pit,
Which they have dug without cause for my life.
8 [d]Let (F)destruction come upon him unexpectedly,
And let his net that he has hidden catch himself;
Into that very destruction let him fall.
9 And my soul shall be joyful in the Lord;
It shall rejoice in His salvation.
10 (G)All my bones shall say,
“Lord, (H)who is like You,
Delivering the poor from him who is too strong for him,
Yes, the poor and the needy from him who plunders him?”
11 Fierce witnesses rise up;
They ask me things that I do not know.
12 (I)They reward me evil for good,
To the sorrow of my soul.
13 But as for me, (J)when they were sick,
My clothing was sackcloth;
I humbled myself with fasting;
And my prayer would return to my own [e]heart.
14 I paced about as though he were my friend or brother;
I bowed down [f]heavily, as one who mourns for his mother.
15 But in my [g]adversity they rejoiced
And gathered together;
Attackers gathered against me,
And I did not know it;
They tore at me and did not cease;
16 With ungodly mockers at feasts
They gnashed at me with their teeth.
17 Lord, how long will You (K)look on?
Rescue me from their destructions,
My precious life from the lions.
18 I will give You thanks in the great assembly;
I will praise You among [h]many people.
19 (L)Let them not rejoice over me who are wrongfully my enemies;
Nor let them wink with the eye who hate me without a cause.
20 For they do not speak peace,
But they devise deceitful matters
Against the quiet ones in the land.
21 They also opened their mouth wide against me,
And said, “Aha, aha!
Our eyes have seen it.”
22 This You have seen, O Lord;
Do not keep silence.
O Lord, do not be far from me.
23 Stir up Yourself, and awake to my vindication,
To my cause, my God and my Lord.
24 Vindicate me, O Lord my God, according to Your righteousness;
And let them not rejoice over me.
25 Let them not say in their hearts, “Ah, so we would have it!”
Let them not say, “We have swallowed him up.”
26 Let them be ashamed and brought to mutual confusion
Who rejoice at my hurt;
Let them be (M)clothed with shame and dishonor
Who exalt themselves against me.
27 (N)Let them shout for joy and be glad,
Who favor my righteous cause;
And let them say continually,
“Let the Lord be magnified,
Who has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant.”
28 And my tongue shall speak of Your righteousness
And of Your praise all the day long.
Footnotes
- Psalm 35:1 Contend for me
- Psalm 35:2 A small shield
- Psalm 35:5 Or Angel
- Psalm 35:8 Lit. Let destruction he does not know come upon him,
- Psalm 35:13 Lit. bosom
- Psalm 35:14 in mourning
- Psalm 35:15 limping, stumbling
- Psalm 35:18 a mighty
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
