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Psalm 34

Praise for Deliverance from Trouble

Of David, when he feigned madness before Abimelech, so that he drove him out, and he went away.

I will bless the Lord at all times;
    his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul makes its boast in the Lord;
    let the humble hear and be glad.(A)
O magnify the Lord with me,
    and let us exalt his name together.(B)

I sought the Lord, and he answered me
    and delivered me from all my fears.(C)
Look to him, and be radiant,
    so your[a] faces shall never be ashamed.(D)
This poor soul cried and was heard by the Lord
    and was saved from every trouble.
The angel of the Lord encamps
    around those who fear him and delivers them.(E)
O taste and see that the Lord is good;
    happy are those who take refuge in him.(F)
O fear the Lord, you his holy ones,
    for those who fear him have no want.(G)
10 The young lions suffer want and hunger,
    but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.(H)

11 Come, O children, listen to me;
    I will teach you the fear of the Lord.(I)
12 Which of you desires life
    and covets many days to enjoy good?(J)
13 Keep your tongue from evil
    and your lips from speaking deceit.(K)
14 Depart from evil, and do good;
    seek peace, and pursue it.(L)

15 The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,
    and his ears are open to their cry.(M)
16 The face of the Lord is against evildoers,
    to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.(N)
17 When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears
    and rescues them from all their troubles.(O)
18 The Lord is near to the brokenhearted
    and saves the crushed in spirit.(P)

19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
    but the Lord rescues them from them all.(Q)
20 He keeps all their bones;
    not one of them will be broken.(R)
21 Evil brings death to the wicked,
    and those who hate the righteous will be condemned.(S)
22 The Lord redeems the life of his servants;
    none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.(T)

Psalm 35

Prayer for Deliverance from Enemies

Of David.

Contend, O Lord, with those who contend with me;
    fight against those who fight against me!(U)
Take hold of shield and buckler,
    and rise up to help me!
Draw the spear and javelin
    against my pursuers;
say to my soul,
    “I am your salvation.”

Let them be put to shame and dishonor
    who seek after my life.
Let them be turned back and confounded
    who devise evil against me.(V)
Let them be like chaff before the wind,
    with the angel of the Lord driving them on.(W)
Let their way be dark and slippery,
    with the angel of the Lord pursuing them.(X)

For without cause they hid their net[b] for me;
    without cause they dug a pit[c] for my life.(Y)
Let ruin come on them unawares,
and let the net that they hid ensnare them;
    let them fall in it—to their ruin.(Z)

Then my soul shall rejoice in the Lord,
    exulting in his deliverance.(AA)
10 All my bones shall say,
    “O Lord, who is like you?
You deliver the weak
    from those too strong for them,
    the weak and needy from those who despoil them.”(AB)

11 Malicious witnesses rise up;
    they ask me about things I do not know.(AC)
12 They repay me evil for good;
    my soul is forlorn.(AD)
13 But as for me, when they were sick,
    I wore sackcloth;
    I afflicted myself with fasting.
I prayed with head bowed[d] on my bosom,(AE)
14     as though I grieved for a friend or a brother;
I went about as one who laments for a mother,
    bowed down and in mourning.

15 But at my stumbling they gathered in glee;
    they gathered together against me;
ruffians whom I did not know
    tore at me without ceasing;(AF)
16 they impiously mocked more and more,[e]
    gnashing at me with their teeth.

17 How long, O Lord, will you look on?
    Rescue me from their ravages,
    my life from the lions!(AG)
18 Then I will thank you in the great congregation;
    in the mighty throng I will praise you.(AH)

19 Do not let my treacherous enemies rejoice over me
    or those who hate me without cause wink the eye.(AI)
20 For they do not speak peace,
    but they conceive deceitful words
    against those who are quiet in the land.
21 They open wide their mouths against me;
    they say, “Aha, Aha,
    our eyes have seen it.”(AJ)

22 You have seen, O Lord; do not be silent!
    O Lord, do not be far from me!(AK)
23 Wake up! Rouse yourself for my defense,
    for my cause, my God and my Lord!(AL)
24 Vindicate me, O Lord, my God,
    according to your righteousness,
    and do not let them rejoice over me.(AM)
25 Do not let them say to themselves,
    “Aha, we have our heart’s desire.”
Do not let them say, “We have swallowed you[f] up.”(AN)

26 Let all those who rejoice at my calamity
    be put to shame and confusion;
let those who exalt themselves against me
    be clothed with shame and dishonor.(AO)

27 Let those who desire my vindication
    shout for joy and be glad
    and say evermore,
“Great is the Lord,
    who delights in the welfare of his servant.”(AP)
28 Then my tongue shall tell of your righteousness
    and of your praise all day long.(AQ)

Footnotes

  1. 34.5 Gk Syr Jerome: Heb their
  2. 35.7 Heb a pit, their net
  3. 35.7 The word pit is transposed from the preceding line
  4. 35.13 Or My prayer turned back
  5. 35.16 Cn Compare Gk: Heb like the profanest of mockers of a cake
  6. 35.25 Heb him

Psalm 34[a][b]

Of David. When he pretended to be insane(A) before Abimelek, who drove him away, and he left.

I will extol the Lord at all times;(B)
    his praise will always be on my lips.
I will glory(C) in the Lord;
    let the afflicted hear and rejoice.(D)
Glorify the Lord(E) with me;
    let us exalt(F) his name together.

I sought the Lord,(G) and he answered me;
    he delivered(H) me from all my fears.
Those who look to him are radiant;(I)
    their faces are never covered with shame.(J)
This poor man called, and the Lord heard him;
    he saved him out of all his troubles.(K)
The angel of the Lord(L) encamps around those who fear him,
    and he delivers(M) them.

Taste and see that the Lord is good;(N)
    blessed is the one who takes refuge(O) in him.
Fear the Lord,(P) you his holy people,
    for those who fear him lack nothing.(Q)
10 The lions may grow weak and hungry,
    but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.(R)
11 Come, my children, listen(S) to me;
    I will teach you(T) the fear of the Lord.(U)
12 Whoever of you loves life(V)
    and desires to see many good days,
13 keep your tongue(W) from evil
    and your lips from telling lies.(X)
14 Turn from evil and do good;(Y)
    seek peace(Z) and pursue it.

15 The eyes of the Lord(AA) are on the righteous,(AB)
    and his ears are attentive(AC) to their cry;
16 but the face of the Lord is against(AD) those who do evil,(AE)
    to blot out their name(AF) from the earth.

17 The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears(AG) them;
    he delivers them from all their troubles.
18 The Lord is close(AH) to the brokenhearted(AI)
    and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

19 The righteous person may have many troubles,(AJ)
    but the Lord delivers him from them all;(AK)
20 he protects all his bones,
    not one of them will be broken.(AL)

21 Evil will slay the wicked;(AM)
    the foes of the righteous will be condemned.
22 The Lord will rescue(AN) his servants;
    no one who takes refuge(AO) in him will be condemned.

Psalm 35

Of David.

Contend,(AP) Lord, with those who contend with me;
    fight(AQ) against those who fight against me.
Take up shield(AR) and armor;
    arise(AS) and come to my aid.(AT)
Brandish spear(AU) and javelin[c](AV)
    against those who pursue me.
Say to me,
    “I am your salvation.(AW)

May those who seek my life(AX)
    be disgraced(AY) and put to shame;(AZ)
may those who plot my ruin
    be turned back(BA) in dismay.
May they be like chaff(BB) before the wind,
    with the angel of the Lord(BC) driving them away;
may their path be dark and slippery,
    with the angel of the Lord pursuing them.

Since they hid their net(BD) for me without cause(BE)
    and without cause dug a pit(BF) for me,
may ruin overtake them by surprise—(BG)
    may the net they hid entangle them,
    may they fall into the pit,(BH) to their ruin.
Then my soul will rejoice(BI) in the Lord
    and delight in his salvation.(BJ)
10 My whole being will exclaim,
    “Who is like you,(BK) Lord?
You rescue the poor from those too strong(BL) for them,
    the poor and needy(BM) from those who rob them.”

11 Ruthless witnesses(BN) come forward;
    they question me on things I know nothing about.
12 They repay me evil for good(BO)
    and leave me like one bereaved.
13 Yet when they were ill, I put on sackcloth(BP)
    and humbled myself with fasting.(BQ)
When my prayers returned to me unanswered,
14     I went about mourning(BR)
    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;(BS)
    assailants gathered against me without my knowledge.
    They slandered(BT) me without ceasing.
16 Like the ungodly they maliciously mocked;[d](BU)
    they gnashed their teeth(BV) at me.

17 How long,(BW) Lord, will you look on?
    Rescue me from their ravages,
    my precious life(BX) from these lions.(BY)
18 I will give you thanks in the great assembly;(BZ)
    among the throngs(CA) I will praise you.(CB)
19 Do not let those gloat over me
    who are my enemies(CC) without cause;
do not let those who hate me without reason(CD)
    maliciously wink the eye.(CE)
20 They do not speak peaceably,
    but devise false accusations(CF)
    against those who live quietly in the land.
21 They sneer(CG) at me and say, “Aha! Aha!(CH)
    With our own eyes we have seen it.”

22 Lord, you have seen(CI) this; do not be silent.
    Do not be far(CJ) from me, Lord.
23 Awake,(CK) and rise(CL) to my defense!
    Contend(CM) for me, my God and Lord.
24 Vindicate me in your righteousness, Lord my God;
    do not let them gloat(CN) over me.
25 Do not let them think, “Aha,(CO) just what we wanted!”
    or say, “We have swallowed him up.”(CP)

26 May all who gloat(CQ) over my distress(CR)
    be put to shame(CS) and confusion;
may all who exalt themselves over me(CT)
    be clothed with shame and disgrace.
27 May those who delight in my vindication(CU)
    shout for joy(CV) and gladness;
may they always say, “The Lord be exalted,
    who delights(CW) in the well-being of his servant.”(CX)

28 My tongue will proclaim your righteousness,(CY)
    your praises all day long.(CZ)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 34:1 This psalm is an acrostic poem, the verses of which begin with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.
  2. Psalm 34:1 In Hebrew texts 34:1-22 is numbered 34:2-23.
  3. Psalm 35:3 Or and block the way
  4. Psalm 35:16 Septuagint; Hebrew may mean Like an ungodly circle of mockers,