Psalms 35 — FBV

A psalm of David.

35Verse 1Oppose my opponents, Lord; fight those who are fighting against me.
^{Verse 2}Put your armor on, and pick up your shield. Get ready, come and help me.
^{Verse 3}Draw your spear and your javelin, confront those who are chasing me. Tell me, “I am your salvation!”
^{Verse 4}Shame them! Humiliate those who are trying to kill me! Turn them back! Disgrace those who are planning to hurt me!
^{Verse 5}Let them be like chaff blown by the wind; let the angel of the Lord drive them away.
^{Verse 6}May their path be dark and slippery, with the angel of the Lord chasing them down.
^{Verse 7}For no reason they set a net to catch me; for no reason they dug a pit to trap me.
^{Verse 8}Let disaster come on them suddenly; let the net they set catch them instead; let the pit they dug trap them instead.
^{Verse 9}Then I will be glad in the Lord; I will be happy in his salvation.
^{Verse 10}Every part of me⁺will say, Who can compare to you, Lord? You rescue the weak from the strong; the poor and needy from robbers.
^{Verse 11}Hostile witnesses stand up to testify against me, accusing me of crimes I don't know anything about.
^{Verse 12}They pay me back with evil instead of good. I feel like giving up.^{+
Verse 13}But when they were sick, I put on clothes of sackcloth⁺in sympathy. I denied myself through fasting. May my prayer for them return to bless me too.^{+
Verse 14}I was upset for them, as if they were my own friends or family; I bowed down in grief as if I was mourning my own mother.
^{Verse 15}But when I was in trouble, they gathered around and laughed at me. Even strangers I don't know attacked me, constantly tearing me apart.
^{Verse 16}Like irreligious people mocking a cripple⁺they mock me and call me names, gnashing their teeth at me.
^{Verse 17}How long, Lord, will you sit by and just watch? Save me from their vicious attacks; defend the only life I have from these lions.
^{Verse 18}Then I will thank you in front of the whole congregation and praise you in front of all the people.
^{Verse 19}Don't let my enemies take pleasure in my troubles, those people who hate me and tell lies about me, gloating over me for no reason.
^{Verse 20}They are not looking for peace; they invent malicious and deceptive schemes against innocent peace-loving people.^{+
Verse 21}They open their mouths wide to make accusations against me, saying, “Look! Look! We saw it with our own eyes!”
^{Verse 22}But Lord, you've seen all this! Say something! Don't give up on me, Lord!
^{Verse 23}Wake up! Get up and defend me, my Lord and my God! Take up my case and make sure justice is done!
^{Verse 24}Vindicate me, my Lord and my God, because you are just and right. Don't let them gloat over me.
^{Verse 25}Don't let them say to themselves, “Look! We got what we wanted!” Don't let them say, “We completely destroyed him!”
^{Verse 26}Make them totally ashamed, all those who are happy for the trouble I'm in. Let those who are celebrating over me be covered with shame and dishonor.
^{Verse 27}Instead let those who are pleased I've been vindicated celebrate and shout for joy. Let them always say, “How great is the Lord! He is happy when his servants live in peace and have what they need.”^{+
Verse 28}I will tell others about your character of truth and right, praising you all day long!