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.
Take hold of shield and [b]buckler,
And stand up for my help.
Also draw out the spear,
And stop those who pursue me.
Say to my soul,
“I am your salvation.”

(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.
(C)Let them be like chaff before the wind,
And let the [c]angel of the Lord chase them.
Let their way be (D)dark and slippery,
And let the angel of the Lord pursue them.
For without cause they have (E)hidden their net for me in a pit,
Which they have dug without cause for my life.
[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.

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

  1. Psalm 35:1 Contend for me
  2. Psalm 35:2 A small shield
  3. Psalm 35:5 Or Angel
  4. Psalm 35:8 Lit. Let destruction he does not know come upon him,
  5. Psalm 35:13 Lit. bosom
  6. Psalm 35:14 in mourning
  7. Psalm 35:15 limping, stumbling
  8. Psalm 35:18 a mighty

Prayer for Rescue from Enemies.

A Psalm of David.

35 Contend, Lord, with those who (A)contend with me;
Fight against those who (B)fight against me.
Take hold of [a](C)buckler and shield
And rise up as (D)my help.
Draw also the spear and [b]the battle-axe to meet those who pursue me;
Say to my soul, “I am (E)your salvation.”
Let those be (F)ashamed and dishonored who seek my [c]life;
Let those be (G)turned back and humiliated who devise evil against me.
Let them be (H)like chaff before the wind,
With the angel of the Lord driving them on.
Let their way be dark and (I)slippery,
With the angel of the Lord pursuing them.
For (J)they (K)hid their net for me without cause;
Without cause they dug a pit for my soul.
Let (L)destruction come upon him when he is unaware,
And (M)let the net which he hid catch him;
Let him fall into that very (N)destruction.

So my soul shall (O)rejoice in the Lord;
It shall (P)rejoice in His salvation.
10 All my (Q)bones will say, “Lord, (R)who is like You,
Who rescues the afflicted from one (S)who is too strong for him,
And (T)the afflicted and the poor from one who robs him?”
11 (U)Malicious witnesses rise up;
They ask me things that I do not know.
12 They (V)repay me evil for good,
To the bereavement of my soul.
13 But as for me, (W)when they were sick, my (X)clothing was sackcloth;
I (Y)humbled my soul with fasting,
But my (Z)prayer kept returning to [d]me.
14 I went about as though it were my friend or brother;
I (AA)bowed down [e]in mourning, like one who mourns for a mother.
15 But (AB)at my [f]stumbling they rejoiced and gathered themselves together;
The [g](AC)afflicted people whom I did not know gathered together against me,
They [h](AD)slandered me without ceasing.
16 Like godless jesters at a feast,
They (AE)gnashed at me with their teeth.

17 Lord, (AF)how long will You look on?
Rescue my soul (AG)from their ravages,
My (AH)only life from the lions.
18 I will (AI)give You thanks in the great congregation;
I will (AJ)praise You among a mighty people.
19 (AK)Do not let those who are wrongfully (AL)my enemies rejoice over me;
Nor let those (AM)who hate me for no reason [i](AN)wink maliciously.
20 For they do not speak peace,
But they devise (AO)deceitful words against those who are quiet in the land.
21 They (AP)opened their mouth wide against me;
They said, “(AQ)Aha, aha! Our eyes have seen it!”

22 (AR)You have seen it, Lord, (AS)do not keep silent;
Lord, (AT)do not be far from me.
23 (AU)Stir Yourself, and awake to my right
And to my cause, my God and my Lord.
24 (AV)Judge me, Lord my God, according to Your righteousness,
And (AW)do not let them rejoice over me.
25 Do not let them say in their heart, “(AX)Aha, our desire!”
Do not let them say, “We have (AY)swallowed him up!”
26 May (AZ)those be ashamed and altogether humiliated who rejoice at my distress;
May those who (BA)exalt themselves over me be (BB)clothed with shame and dishonor.

27 May those (BC)shout for joy and rejoice, who take delight in (BD)my vindication;
And (BE)may they say continually, “The Lord be exalted,
Who (BF)delights in the prosperity of His servant.”
28 And (BG)my tongue shall proclaim Your righteousness
And Your praise all day long.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 35:2 I.e., small shield
  2. Psalm 35:3 Or close up the path against those
  3. Psalm 35:4 Or soul
  4. Psalm 35:13 Lit my chest
  5. Psalm 35:14 Or dressed for mourning
  6. Psalm 35:15 Or limping
  7. Psalm 35:15 Or struck ones
  8. Psalm 35:15 Lit tore
  9. Psalm 35:19 Or wink the eye

求上帝申冤

大卫的诗。

35 耶和华啊,
求你与我的敌人为敌,
攻击那些攻击我的人。
求你拿起大小盾牌来帮助我,
举起矛枪攻击追赶我的人。
求你对我说:
“我是你的拯救。”
愿谋杀我的人蒙羞受辱,
谋害我的人落荒而逃!
愿耶和华的天使驱散他们,
如风吹散糠秕!
愿他们的道路漆黑泥泞,
有耶和华的天使在后追赶!
因为他们无故设网罗,
挖陷阱要害我。
愿他们突遭祸患,
作茧自缚,自食恶果!
我要因耶和华而欢欣,
因祂的拯救而快乐。
10 我从心底发出赞叹:
耶和华啊,谁能像你?
你拯救弱者免受欺压,
拯救穷人免遭掠夺。
11 恶人诬告我,
盘问我毫无所知的事情。
12 他们对我以恶报善,
令我伤心欲绝。
13 他们生病时,
我披上麻衣,
谦卑地为他们禁食祷告,
但上帝没有垂听。
14 我为他们哀伤,
视他们为朋友、弟兄;
我低头为他们哭泣,
如同哀悼自己的母亲。
15 我遭遇患难时,
他们却聚在一起幸灾乐祸,
合伙诽谤我。
素不相识的人也群起攻击我,
不住地毁谤我。
16 他们肆无忌惮地嘲弄我,
咬牙切齿地憎恶我。

17 耶和华啊,
你袖手旁观要到何时?
求你救我的性命免遭残害,
救我脱离这些狮子。
18 我要在大会中称谢你,
在众人面前赞美你。
19 求你不要让无故攻击我的人幸灾乐祸,
不要让无故恨我的人沾沾自喜。
20 他们言语暴戾,
谋害安分守己的人。
21 他们高喊:“哈哈!哈哈!
我们亲眼看见了。”
22 耶和华啊,这一切你都看见了,
求你不要再缄默,不要远离我。
23 我的上帝,我的主啊,
求你起来为我辩护,为我申冤。
24 我的上帝耶和华啊,
求你按你的公义宣告我无罪,
别让他们幸灾乐祸。
25 别让他们说:
“哈哈,我们如愿以偿了!”
别让他们说:
“我们除掉他了!”
26 愿幸灾乐祸的人蒙羞受辱,
自高自大的人无地自容!
27 愿盼望我冤屈得雪的人扬声欢呼!
愿他们常说:“耶和华当受尊崇!
祂乐意赐福给自己的仆人。”
28 我要诉说你的公义,
终日赞美你。