New King James Version

New Living Translation

The Lord the Avenger of His People

A Psalm of David.

Plead[a] my cause, O Lord, with those who strive with me;
Fight against those who fight against me.

1

A psalm of David.

O LORD, oppose those who oppose me.
Fight those who fight against me.

2

Take hold of shield and [b]buckler,
And stand up for my help.

2

Put on your armor, and take up your shield.
Prepare for battle, and come to my aid.

3

Also draw out the spear,
And stop those who pursue me.
Say to my soul,
“I am your salvation.”

3

Lift up your spear and javelin
against those who pursue me.
Let me hear you say,
“I will give you victory!”

4

Let those be put to shame and brought to dishonor
Who seek after my life;
Let those be turned back and brought to confusion
Who plot my hurt.

4

Bring shame and disgrace on those trying to kill me;
turn them back and humiliate those who want to harm me.

5

Let them be like chaff before the wind,
And let the [c]angel of the Lord chase them.

5

Blow them away like chaff in the wind —
a wind sent by the angel of the LORD.

6

Let their way be dark and slippery,
And let the angel of the Lord pursue them.

6

Make their path dark and slippery,
with the angel of the LORD pursuing them.

7

For without cause they have hidden their net for me in a pit,
Which they have dug without cause for my life.

7

I did them no wrong, but they laid a trap for me.
I did them no wrong, but they dug a pit to catch me.

8

[d]Let destruction come upon him unexpectedly,
And let his net that he has hidden catch himself;
Into that very destruction let him fall.

8

So let sudden ruin come upon them!
Let them be caught in the trap they set for me!
Let them be destroyed in the pit they dug for me.

9

And my soul shall be joyful in the Lord;
It shall rejoice in His salvation.

9

Then I will rejoice in the LORD.
I will be glad because he rescues me.

10

All my bones shall say,
“Lord, who is like You,
Delivering the poor from him who is too strong for him,
Yes, the poor and the needy from him who plunders him?”

10

With every bone in my body I will praise him:
“LORD, who can compare with you?
Who else rescues the helpless from the strong?
Who else protects the helpless and poor from those who rob them?”

11

Fierce witnesses rise up;
They ask me things that I do not know.

11

Malicious witnesses testify against me.
They accuse me of crimes I know nothing about.

12

They reward me evil for good,
To the sorrow of my soul.

12

They repay me evil for good.
I am sick with despair.

13

But as for me, when they were sick,
My clothing was sackcloth;
I humbled myself with fasting;
And my prayer would return to my own [e]heart.

13

Yet when they were ill, I grieved for them.
I denied myself by fasting for them,
but my prayers returned unanswered.

14

I paced about as though he were my friend or brother;
I bowed down [f]heavily, as one who mourns for his mother.

14

I was sad, as though they were my friends or family,
as if I were grieving for my own mother.

15

But in my [g]adversity they rejoiced
And gathered together;
Attackers gathered against me,
And I did not know it;
They tore at me and did not cease;

15

But they are glad now that I am in trouble;
they gleefully join together against me.
I am attacked by people I don’t even know;
they slander me constantly.

16

With ungodly mockers at feasts
They gnashed at me with their teeth.

16

They mock me and call me names;
they snarl at me.

17

Lord, how long will You look on?
Rescue me from their destructions,
My precious life from the lions.

17

How long, O Lord, will you look on and do nothing?
Rescue me from their fierce attacks.
Protect my life from these lions!

18

I will give You thanks in the great assembly;
I will praise You among [h]many people.

18

Then I will thank you in front of the great assembly.
I will praise you before all the people.

19

Let them not rejoice over me who are wrongfully my enemies;
Nor let them wink with the eye who hate me without a cause.

19

Don’t let my treacherous enemies rejoice over my defeat.
Don’t let those who hate me without cause gloat over my sorrow.

20

For they do not speak peace,
But they devise deceitful matters
Against the quiet ones in the land.

20

They don’t talk of peace;
they plot against innocent people who mind their own business.

21

They also opened their mouth wide against me,
And said, “Aha, aha!
Our eyes have seen it.”

21

They shout, “Aha! Aha!
With our own eyes we saw him do it!”

22

This You have seen, O Lord;
Do not keep silence.
O Lord, do not be far from me.

22

O LORD, you know all about this.
Do not stay silent.
Do not abandon me now, O Lord.

23

Stir up Yourself, and awake to my vindication,
To my cause, my God and my Lord.

23

Wake up! Rise to my defense!
Take up my case, my God and my Lord.

24

Vindicate me, O Lord my God, according to Your righteousness;
And let them not rejoice over me.

24

Declare me not guilty, O LORD my God, for you give justice.
Don’t let my enemies laugh about me in my troubles.

25

Let them not say in their hearts, “Ah, so we would have it!”
Let them not say, “We have swallowed him up.”

25

Don’t let them say, “Look, we got what we wanted!
Now we will eat him alive!”

26

Let them be ashamed and brought to mutual confusion
Who rejoice at my hurt;
Let them be clothed with shame and dishonor
Who exalt themselves against me.

26

May those who rejoice at my troubles
be humiliated and disgraced.
May those who triumph over me
be covered with shame and dishonor.

27

Let them shout for joy and be glad,
Who favor my righteous cause;
And let them say continually,
“Let the Lord be magnified,
Who has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant.”

27

But give great joy to those who came to my defense.
Let them continually say, “Great is the LORD,
who delights in blessing his servant with peace!”

28

And my tongue shall speak of Your righteousness
And of Your praise all the day long.

28

Then I will proclaim your justice,
and I will praise you all day long.

Parallel

New King James Version

New Living Translation

Psalms 35

Psalms 35