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
Psalm 35
21st Century King James Version
35 Plead my cause, O Lord, with them that strive with me; fight against them that fight against me.
2 Take hold of shield and buckler, and stand up for mine help.
3 Draw out also the spear, and block the way against them that persecute me. Say unto my soul, “I am thy salvation.”
4 Let them be confounded and put to shame that seek after my soul; let them be turned back and brought to confusion that devise my hurt.
5 Let them be as chaff before the wind, and let the angel of the Lord chase them.
6 Let their way be dark and slippery, and let the angel of the Lord persecute them.
7 For without cause they have hid their net for me in a pit, which without cause they have dug for my soul.
8 Let destruction come upon him unawares; and let the net which he hath hidden catch himself; into that very destruction let him fall.
9 Then my soul shall be joyful in the Lord; it shall rejoice in His salvation.
10 All my bones shall say, “Lord, who is like unto Thee, who deliverest the poor from him that is too strong for him, yea, the poor and needy from him that would plunder him?”
11 False witnesses rose up; they laid to my charge things that I knew not.
12 They rewarded me evil for good, to the grieving of my soul.
13 But as for me, when they were sick my clothing was sackcloth; I humbled my soul with fasting, and my prayer returned unto mine own bosom.
14 I behaved myself as though he had been my friend or brother; I bowed down in heaviness, as one that mourneth for his mother.
15 But in mine adversity they rejoiced and gathered themselves together; yea, the abjects gathered themselves together against me, and I knew it not; they tore at me and ceased not.
16 With hypocritical mockers at feasts they gnashed their teeth against me.
17 Lord, how long wilt Thou look on? Rescue my soul from their destructions, my precious soul from the lions.
18 I will give Thee thanks in the great congregation; I will praise Thee among many people.
19 Let not them that are mine enemies wrongfully rejoice over me; neither let them wink with the eye that hate me without a cause.
20 For they speak not peace, but they devise deceitful matters against them that are quiet in the land.
21 Yea, they opened their mouths wide against me and said, “Aha, aha! Our eyes have seen it.”
22 This Thou hast seen, O Lord; keep not silence; O Lord, be not far from me.
23 Stir up Thyself, and awake to my judgment, even unto my cause, my God and my Lord.
24 Judge me, O Lord my God, according to Thy righteousness; and let them not rejoice over me.
25 Let them not say in their hearts, “Ah, so would we have it!” Let them not say, “We have swallowed him up.”
26 Let them be ashamed and brought to confusion together that rejoice at my hurt; let them be clothed with shame and dishonor that magnify themselves against me.
27 Let them shout for joy and be glad that favor my righteous cause; yea, let them say continually, “Let the Lord be magnified who hath pleasure in the prosperity of His servant.”
28 And my tongue shall speak of Thy righteousness and of Thy praise all the day long.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 1994 by Deuel Enterprises, Inc.