Psalm 35 | King James Version

1 A Psalm of David. 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 stop 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 have they hid for me their net in a pit, which without cause they have digged for my soul. 8 Let destruction come upon him at unawares; and let his net that he hath hid 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 All my bones shall say, LORD, who is like unto thee, which deliverest the poor from him that is too strong for him, yea, the poor and the needy from him that spoileth him? 11 False witnesses did rise up; they laid to my charge things that I knew not. 12 They rewarded me evil for good to the spoiling 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 into mine own bosom. 14 I behaved myself as though he had been my friend or brother: I bowed down heavily, 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 did tear me , and ceased not: 16 With hypocritical mockers in feasts, they gnashed upon me with their teeth. 17 Lord, how long wilt thou look on? rescue my soul from their destructions, my darling from the lions. 18 I will give thee thanks in the great congregation: I will praise thee among much 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 mouth wide against me, and said, Aha, aha, our eye hath 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 mine hurt: let them be clothed with shame and dishonour that magnify themselves against me. 27 Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the LORD be magnified, which 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.

New International Reader’s Version

A psalm of David.

1 LORD, stand up against those who stand up against me. Fight against those who fight against me. 2 Pick up your shield and your armour. Rise up and help me. 3 Get your spear and javelin ready to fight against those who are chasing me. Say to me, ‘I will save you.’ 4 Let those who are trying to kill me be brought down in dishonour. Let those who plan to destroy me be turned back in terror. 5 Let them be like straw blowing in the wind, while the angel of the LORD drives them away. 6 Let their path be dark and slippery, while the angel of the LORD chases them. 7 They set a trap for me without any reason. Without any reason they dug a pit to catch me. 8 So let them be destroyed without warning. Let the trap they set for me catch them. Let them fall into the pit and be destroyed. 9 Then I will be full of joy because of what the LORD has done. I will be glad because he has saved me. 10 My whole being will cry out, ‘Who is like you, LORD? You save poor people from those who are too strong for them. You save poor and needy people from those who rob them.’ 11 Mean people come forward to speak against me. They ask me things I don’t know anything about. 12 They pay me back with evil, even though I was good to them. They leave me like someone who has lost a family member. 13 But when they were ill, I put on the clothing of sadness. I made myself humble by going without food. My prayers for them weren’t always answered. 14 So I went around crying as if I were mourning over my friend or relative. I bowed my head in sadness as if I were weeping over my mother. 15 But when I tripped and fell, they were all very happy. Attackers gathered against me when I didn’t even know it. They kept on telling lies about me. 16 Like ungodly people, they were mean and made fun of me. They ground their teeth at me in hate. 17 Lord, how much longer will you just look on? Save me from their deadly attacks. Save the only life I have. Save me from these lions. 18 I will give you thanks in the whole community. Among all your people I will praise you. 19 Don’t let those who are my enemies without any reason laugh at me and make fun of me. Don’t let those who hate me without any reason wink at me with an evil purpose. 20 They don’t speak words of peace. They make up false charges against those who live quietly in the land. 21 They make fun of me. They say, ‘With our own eyes we have seen what you did.’ 22 LORD, you have seen this. Don’t be silent. Lord, don’t be far away from me. 23 Wake up! Rise up to help me! My God and Lord, stand up for me. 24 LORD my God, when you hand down your sentence, let it be in my favour. You always do what is right. Don’t let my enemies have the joy of seeing me fall. 25 Don’t let them think, ‘That’s exactly what we wanted!’ Don’t let them say, ‘We have swallowed him up.’ 26 Let all those who laugh at me because I’m in trouble be ashamed and bewildered. Let all who think they are better than I am put on shame and dishonour as if they were clothes. 27 Let those who are happy when my name is cleared shout with joy and gladness. Let them always say, ‘May the LORD be honoured. He is pleased when everything goes well with the one who serves him.’ 28 You always do what is right. My tongue will speak about it and praise you all day long.

Psalm 35 | King James Version New International Reader’s Version

A psalm of David.