Psalm 34-35

New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

⁴ I sought the Lord, and he answered me
    and delivered me from all my fears.^(C)
5 Look to him, and be radiant,
    so your^[a] faces shall never be ashamed.^(D)
6 This poor soul cried and was heard by the Lord
    and was saved from every trouble.
⁷ The angel of the Lord encamps
    around those who fear him and delivers them.^(E)
8 O taste and see that the Lord is good;
    happy are those who take refuge in him.^(F)
9 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)

⁴ 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)
5 Let them be like chaff before the wind,
    with the angel of the Lord driving them on.^(W)
6 Let their way be dark and slippery,
    with the angel of the Lord pursuing them.^(X)

⁷ For without cause they hid their net^[b] for me;
    without cause they dug a pit^[c] for my life.^(Y)
8 Let ruin come on them unawares,
and let the net that they hid ensnare them;
    let them fall in it—to their ruin.^(Z)

⁹ 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)