Psalms 35

Plead my cause, O LORD, with them that strive with me: fight against them that fight against me.

1LORD, argue my case against the people who fight me. Fight the ones who fight me.

2Take hold of shield and buckler, and stand up for mine help.

2Pick up your big shield and your small shield. Stand up and come help me.

NoteA buckler is a small round shield held in the hand. The other shield was large and covered most of the body.

3Draw out also the spear, and stop the way against them that persecute me: say unto my soul, I am thy salvation.

3Take out your spear and block the people chasing me. Tell me, "I am the one who saves you."

4Let 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.

4The people who want to kill me want to be ashamed and beaten back. The ones planning to hurt me want to be turned around and stopped.

5Let them be as chaff before the wind: and let the angel of the LORD chase them.

5Let them blow away like dry husks in the wind. Let the LORD's angel push them away.

6Let their way be dark and slippery: and let the angel of the LORD persecute them.

6Let their path be dark and slippery. Let the LORD's angel chase after them.

7For without cause have they hid for me their net in a pit, which without cause they have digged for my soul.

7They hid a net to trap me, and I did nothing wrong. They dug a pit for me for no reason at all.

8Let destruction come upon him at unawares; and let his net that he hath hid catch himself: into that very destruction let him fall.

8Let trouble come to them when they do not expect it. Let the net they hid catch them instead. Let them fall into the very trap they made.

9And my soul shall be joyful in the LORD: it shall rejoice in his salvation.

9Then I will be glad because of the LORD. I will be happy that he saved me.

10All 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?

10Every bone in me will say, "LORD, no one is like you. You rescue weak people from those who are too strong for them. You save the poor and needy from people who rob them."

11False witnesses did rise up; they laid to my charge things that I knew not.

11People who lie stood up to speak against me. They blamed me for things I never did.

12They rewarded me evil for good to the spoiling of my soul.

12I was good to them, and they paid me back with evil. It left me feeling empty and alone.

13But 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.

13But when they were sick, I wore rough cloth to show my sadness. I did not eat, and I made myself humble. My prayers came back to me with no answer.

NoteSackcloth was rough, scratchy cloth. People wore it to show they were very sad or very sorry.

14I behaved myself as though he had been my friend or brother: I bowed down heavily, as one that mourneth for his mother.

14I acted as if they were my friend or my brother. I walked bent over with sadness, like someone whose mother has died.

15But 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:

15But when I tripped and fell, they were happy. They came together against me. People I did not even know tore at me with words. They would not stop.

16With hypocritical mockers in feasts, they gnashed upon me with their teeth.

16They were like rude jokers at a party. They ground their teeth at me in anger.

NoteGrinding your teeth at someone was a way of showing you hated them.

17Lord, how long wilt thou look on? rescue my soul from their destructions, my darling from the lions.

17Lord, how long will you just watch? Save my life from what they are doing to me. Save the one life I have from these lions.

18I will give thee thanks in the great congregation: I will praise thee among much people.

18Then I will thank you in front of the whole crowd. I will praise you where many people can hear.

19Let not them that are mine enemies wrongfully rejoice over me: neither let them wink with the eye that hate me without a cause.

19Do not let my enemies laugh at me, because I did nothing to them. Do not let people who hate me for no reason wink at each other.

20For they speak not peace: but they devise deceitful matters against them that are quiet in the land.

20They do not speak kind words. They make up sneaky plans against people who live quietly.

21Yea, they opened their mouth wide against me, and said, Aha, aha, our eye hath seen it.

21They open their mouths wide at me and shout, "Aha! Aha! We saw it with our own eyes!"

22This thou hast seen, O LORD: keep not silence: O Lord, be not far from me.

22LORD, you have seen all of this. Do not stay quiet. Lord, do not stay far away from me.

23Stir up thyself, and awake to my judgment, even unto my cause, my God and my Lord.

23Wake up and stand up for me. Come and take my side, my God and my Lord.

24Judge me, O LORD my God, according to thy righteousness; and let them not rejoice over me.

24LORD my God, decide my case, because you are fair. Do not let them laugh at me.

25Let them not say in their hearts, Ah, so would we have it: let them not say, We have swallowed him up.

25Do not let them think, "Aha, this is just what we wanted!" Do not let them say, "We have swallowed him up!"

26Let 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.

26Let the people who enjoy my pain be ashamed and confused. Let the ones who brag over me be covered with shame.

27Let 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.

27Let the people who want me cleared shout for joy. Let them always say, "The LORD is great. He is glad when his servant does well."

28And my tongue shall speak of thy righteousness and of thy praise all the day long.

28And I will talk about how fair you are. I will praise you all day long.