Psalms 35

Great Is the  Lord

Of David.

1  Contend, O  Lord, with those who a contend with me;
b fight against those who fight against me!
 2 Take hold of c shield and buckler
and rise for my help!
 3 Draw the spear and javelin ▼
▼ Or  and close the way

against my pursuers!
Say to my soul,
“I am your salvation!”
 4  e Let them be f put to shame and dishonor
who seek after my life!
Let them be g turned back and disappointed
who devise evil against me!
 5 Let them be like h chaff before the wind,
with the angel of the  Lord driving them away!
 6 Let their way be dark and i slippery,
with the angel of the  Lord pursuing them!
 7  For j without cause k they hid their net for me;
without cause they dug l a pit for my life. ▼
▼ The word  pit is transposed from the preceding line; Hebrew  For without cause they hid the pit of their net for me; without cause they dug for my life

 8 Let n destruction come upon him o when he does not know it!
And let the net that he hid ensnare him;
let him fall into it—to his destruction!
 9  Then my soul will rejoice in the  Lord,
p exulting in his salvation.
 10 All my q bones shall say,
“O  Lord r who is like you,
delivering the poor
from him who is too strong for him,
the poor and needy from him who robs him?”
 11  s Malicious ▼
▼ Or Violent
 witnesses rise up;
they ask me of things that I do not know.
 12  u They repay me evil for good;
my soul is bereft. ▼
▼ Hebrew it is bereavement to my soul

 13 But I, w when they were sick—
I x wore sackcloth;
I y afflicted myself with fasting;
I prayed z with head bowed ▼
▼ Or my prayer shall turn back
 on my chest.
 14 I went about as though I grieved for my friend or my brother;
as one who laments his mother,
I ab bowed down in mourning.
 15  But at my stumbling they rejoiced and gathered;
they gathered together against me;
ac wretches whom I did not know
tore at me without ceasing;
 16 like profane mockers at a feast ▼
▼ The meaning of the Hebrew phrase is uncertain

they ae gnash at me with their teeth.
 17  How long, O Lord, will you af look on?
Rescue me from their destruction,
ag my precious life from the lions!
 18 I will thank you in ah the great congregation;
in the mighty throng I will praise you.
 19  ai Let not those rejoice over me
who are aj wrongfully my foes,
and let not those ak wink the eye
who al hate me am without cause.
 20 For they do not speak peace,
but against those who are quiet in the land
they devise words of deceit.
 21 They an open wide their mouths against me;
they say ao “Aha, Aha!
Our eyes have seen it!”
 22  ap You have seen, O  Lord; aq be not silent!
O Lord, ar be not far from me!
 23 Awake and as rouse yourself for at my vindication,
for my cause, my God and my Lord!
 24  au Vindicate me, O  Lord, my God,
according to your righteousness,
and av let them not rejoice over me!
 25 Let them not say in their hearts,
aw “Aha, our heart’s desire!”
Let them not say ax “We have swallowed him up.”
 26  Let them be ay put to shame and disappointed altogether
who rejoice at my calamity!
Let them be az clothed with shame and dishonor
who ba magnify themselves against me!
 27  Let those who delight in my righteousness
shout for joy and be glad
bb and say evermore,
bc “Great is the  Lord,
who bd delights in the welfare of his servant!”
 28 Then my be tongue shall tell of your righteousness
and of your praise all the day long.
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