# Psalm 35 --- ## Contend with My Opponents, O LORD 'Of David.' - 1 Contend with my opponents, O LORD; - fight against those who fight against me. - 2 Take up Your shield and buckler; - arise and come to my aid. - 3 Draw the spear and javelin {Or 'and close the way'} against my pursuers; - say to my soul: “I am your salvation.” - 4 May those who seek my life - be disgraced and put to shame; - may those who plan to harm me - be driven back and confounded. - 5 May they be like chaff in the wind, - as the angel of the LORD drives them away. - 6 May their path be dark and slick, - as the angel of the LORD pursues. - 7 For without cause they laid their net for me; - without reason they dug a pit for my soul. - 8 May ruin befall them by surprise; - may the net they hid ensnare them; - may they fall into the hazard they created. - 9 Then my soul will rejoice in the LORD - and exult in His salvation. - 10 All my bones will exclaim, - “Who is like You, O LORD, - who delivers the afflicted from the aggressor, - the poor and needy from the robber?” - 11 Hostile witnesses come forward; - they make charges I know nothing about. - 12 They repay me evil for good, - to the bereavement of my soul. - 13 Yet when they were ill, - I put on sackcloth; - I humbled myself with fasting, - but my prayers returned unanswered. {Literally 'returned to my bosom'} - 14 I paced about - as for my friend or brother; - I was bowed down with grief, - like one mourning for his mother. - 15 But when I stumbled, they assembled in glee; - they gathered together against me. - Assailants I did not know - slandered me without ceasing. - 16 Like godless jesters at a feast, {Or 'Like a godless circle of mockers, '} - they gnashed their teeth at me. - 17 How long, O Lord, will You look on? - Rescue my soul from their ravages, - my precious life from these lions. - 18 Then I will give You thanks in the great assembly; - I will praise You among many people. - 19 Let not my enemies gloat over me without cause, - nor those who hate me without reason wink in malice. {See [[John_15|John 15.25]].} - 20 For they do not speak peace, - but they devise deceitful schemes - against those who live quietly in the land. - 21 They gape at me and say, - “Aha, aha! Our eyes have seen!” - 22 O LORD, You have seen it; be not silent. - O Lord, be not far from me. - 23 Awake and rise to my defense, - to my cause, my God and my Lord! - 24 Vindicate me by Your righteousness, O LORD my God, - and do not let them gloat over me. - 25 Let them not say in their hearts, - “Aha, just what we wanted!” - Let them not say, - “We have swallowed him up!” - 26 May those who gloat in my distress - be ashamed and confounded; - may those who exalt themselves over me - be clothed in shame and reproach. - 27 May those who favor my vindication - shout for joy and gladness; - may they always say, “Exalted be the LORD - who delights in His servant’s well-being.” - 28 Then my tongue will proclaim Your righteousness - and Your praises all day long. --- - Previous chapter: [[Psalm_034|Psalm 34]] - Next chapter: [[Psalm_036|Psalm 36]] - TOC: [[TOC_Psalms]] --- The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible (https://bereanbible.com), BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub (https://biblehub.com), Discovery Bible (https://discoverybible.com), OpenBible.com (https://openbible.com), and the Berean Bible Translation Committee. This text of God's Word has been dedicated to the public domain (https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0). ---