Psalms 35

A Prayer for God to Fight

1 Fight my case, Lord, with those who fight me; Fight those who fight me.

2 Grab a shield and a buckler, And get up to help me.

3 Grab a spear and stop those who chase me; Say to my soul, “I am your rescue.

A Curse on the Enemy

4 Let them who look to take my life be embarrassed and ashamed; Let them who plan evil for me turn back and be confused.

5 Let them be like dust in the wind, With the angel of the Lord chasing them.

6 Let their path be dark and slippery, With the angel of the Lord after them.

7 Because for no reason they hid a net for me; For no reason they dug a pit for me.

8 Let destruction hit him when he is not expecting it; Let the net he hid trap him; Let him fall into it and get destroyed.

A Vow of Praise

9 Then my soul will celebrate in the Lord; It will be happy in His rescue.

10 All my bones will say, “Lord, who is like You, Who rescues the broke from the one too strong for him, The broke and the needy from the one who robs him,” A Complaint of Betrayal

11 Crooked witnesses get up; They ask me stuff I do not know about.

12 They pay me back evil for good, Trying to take my life.

13 But when they were sick, I put on sackcloth; I humbled myself with fasting; I prayed with my head bowed.

14 I walked around like it was my homie or my brother; I was sad like I was grieving for my mom.

15 But when I tripped up, they were happy and got together; They got together against me, and I am not even know it. They talked trash and they did not stop.

16 Like some mockers who mess with others, They grind their teeth at me.

A Final Plea

17 Lord, how long You are going to just watch, Rescue my life from their destruction, My only life from the young lions.

18 I will thank You in the big crowd; I will praise You among a mighty crew.

19 Do not let my enemies who hate me for any reason be happy over me; Do not let those who hate me for any reason wink with their eyes.

20 Because they do not talk peace, And they scheme up lies against the people who are chill in the land.

21 They open their mouths wide against me; They say, “Aha, aha! Our eyes saw it!”

22 You saw it, Lord; do not be quiet! Lord, do not be far from me!

23 Wake up and get up for my case, my God and my Lord, for my fight!

24 Judge me by Your righteousness, Lord my God; Do not let them be happy over me.

25 Do not let them say in their hearts, “We got what we wanted.” Do not let them say, “We swallowed him up.

A Vow to Praise God

26 Let them who are happy about my trouble be embarrassed and ashamed; Let them who puff up against me be covered with shame and disrespect.

27 Let them who love my righteousness shout for joy and be happy; And let them always say, “The Lord is big, Who loves the peace of His servant.”

28 Then my tongue will tell about Your righteousness And Your praise all day.