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A Prayer for Help

Of David.

35 Lord, battle with those who battle with me.
    Fight against those who fight against me.
Pick up the shield and armor.
    Rise up and help me.
Lift up your spears, both large and small,
    against those who chase me.
Tell me, “I will save you.”

Make those who want to kill me
    be ashamed and disgraced.
Make those who plan to harm me
    turn back and run away.
Make them like chaff blown by the wind
    as the angel of the Lord forces them away.
Let their road be dark and slippery
    as the angel of the Lord chases them.
For no reason they spread out their net to trap me;
    for no reason they dug a pit for me.
So let ruin strike them suddenly.
    Let them be caught in their own nets;
    let them fall into the pit and die.
Then I will rejoice in the Lord;
    I will be happy when he saves me.
10 Even my bones will say,
    Lord, who is like you?
You save the weak from the strong,
    the weak and poor from robbers.”

11 Men without mercy stand up to testify.
    They ask me things I do not know.
12 They repay me with evil for the good I have done,
    and they make me very sad.
13 Yet when they were sick, I put on clothes of sadness
    and showed my sorrow by fasting.
But my prayers were not answered.
14 I acted as if they were my friends or brothers.
I bowed in sadness as if I were crying for my mother.
15 But when I was in trouble, they gathered and laughed;
    they gathered to attack before I knew it.
    They insulted me without stopping.
16 They made fun of me and were cruel to me
    and ground their teeth at me in anger.

17 Lord, how long will you watch this happen?
    Save my life from their attacks;
    save me from these people who are like lions.
18 I will praise you in the great meeting.
    I will praise you among crowds of people.
19 Do not let my enemies laugh at me;
    they hate me for no reason.
Do not let them make fun of me;
    they have no cause to hate me.
20 Their words are not friendly
    but are lies about peace-loving people.
21 They speak against me
    and say, “Aha! We saw what you did!”

22 Lord, you have been watching. Do not keep quiet.
    Lord, do not leave me alone.
23 Wake up! Come and defend me!
    My God and Lord, fight for me!
24 Lord my God, defend me with your justice.
    Don’t let them laugh at me.
25 Don’t let them think, “Aha! We got what we wanted!”
    Don’t let them say, “We destroyed him.”
26 Let them be ashamed and embarrassed,
    because they were happy when I hurt.
Cover them with shame and disgrace,
    because they thought they were better than I was.
27 May my friends sing and shout for joy.
    May they always say, “Praise the greatness of the Lord,
    who loves to see his servants do well.”
28 I will tell of your goodness
    and will praise you every day.

Psalm 35

Of David.

Contend,(A) Lord, with those who contend with me;
    fight(B) against those who fight against me.
Take up shield(C) and armor;
    arise(D) and come to my aid.(E)
Brandish spear(F) and javelin[a](G)
    against those who pursue me.
Say to me,
    “I am your salvation.(H)

May those who seek my life(I)
    be disgraced(J) and put to shame;(K)
may those who plot my ruin
    be turned back(L) in dismay.
May they be like chaff(M) before the wind,
    with the angel of the Lord(N) driving them away;
may their path be dark and slippery,
    with the angel of the Lord pursuing them.

Since they hid their net(O) for me without cause(P)
    and without cause dug a pit(Q) for me,
may ruin overtake them by surprise—(R)
    may the net they hid entangle them,
    may they fall into the pit,(S) to their ruin.
Then my soul will rejoice(T) in the Lord
    and delight in his salvation.(U)
10 My whole being will exclaim,
    “Who is like you,(V) Lord?
You rescue the poor from those too strong(W) for them,
    the poor and needy(X) from those who rob them.”

11 Ruthless witnesses(Y) come forward;
    they question me on things I know nothing about.
12 They repay me evil for good(Z)
    and leave me like one bereaved.
13 Yet when they were ill, I put on sackcloth(AA)
    and humbled myself with fasting.(AB)
When my prayers returned to me unanswered,
14     I went about mourning(AC)
    as though for my friend or brother.
I bowed my head in grief
    as though weeping for my mother.
15 But when I stumbled, they gathered in glee;(AD)
    assailants gathered against me without my knowledge.
    They slandered(AE) me without ceasing.
16 Like the ungodly they maliciously mocked;[b](AF)
    they gnashed their teeth(AG) at me.

17 How long,(AH) Lord, will you look on?
    Rescue me from their ravages,
    my precious life(AI) from these lions.(AJ)
18 I will give you thanks in the great assembly;(AK)
    among the throngs(AL) I will praise you.(AM)
19 Do not let those gloat over me
    who are my enemies(AN) without cause;
do not let those who hate me without reason(AO)
    maliciously wink the eye.(AP)
20 They do not speak peaceably,
    but devise false accusations(AQ)
    against those who live quietly in the land.
21 They sneer(AR) at me and say, “Aha! Aha!(AS)
    With our own eyes we have seen it.”

22 Lord, you have seen(AT) this; do not be silent.
    Do not be far(AU) from me, Lord.
23 Awake,(AV) and rise(AW) to my defense!
    Contend(AX) for me, my God and Lord.
24 Vindicate me in your righteousness, Lord my God;
    do not let them gloat(AY) over me.
25 Do not let them think, “Aha,(AZ) just what we wanted!”
    or say, “We have swallowed him up.”(BA)

26 May all who gloat(BB) over my distress(BC)
    be put to shame(BD) and confusion;
may all who exalt themselves over me(BE)
    be clothed with shame and disgrace.
27 May those who delight in my vindication(BF)
    shout for joy(BG) and gladness;
may they always say, “The Lord be exalted,
    who delights(BH) in the well-being of his servant.”(BI)

28 My tongue will proclaim your righteousness,(BJ)
    your praises all day long.(BK)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 35:3 Or and block the way
  2. Psalm 35:16 Septuagint; Hebrew may mean Like an ungodly circle of mockers,