The Lord the Avenger of His People

A Psalm of David.

35 Plead my cause, O Lord, with those who strive with me;Fight against those who fight against me.² Take hold of shield and buckler,And stand up for my help.³ Also draw out the spear,And stop those who pursue me.Say to my soul,“I am your salvation.”

⁴ Let those be put to shame and brought to dishonorWho seek after my life;Let those be turned back and brought to confusionWho plot my hurt.⁵ Let them be like chaff before the wind,And let the angel^[a] of the Lord chase them.⁶ Let their way be dark and slippery,And let the angel of the Lord pursue them.⁷ For without cause they have hidden their net for me in a pit,Which they have dug without cause for my life.⁸ Let destruction come upon him unexpectedly,And let his net that he has hidden catch himself;Into that very destruction let him fall.

⁹ And my soul shall be joyful in the Lord;It shall rejoice in His salvation.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?”

¹¹ Fierce witnesses rise up;They ask me things that I do not know.¹² They reward me evil for good,To the sorrow of my soul.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 heart.¹⁴ I paced about as though he were my friend or brother;I bowed down heavily, as one who mourns for his mother.

¹⁵ But in my adversity they rejoicedAnd gathered together;Attackers gathered against me,And I did not know it;They tore at me and did not cease;¹⁶ With ungodly mockers at feastsThey gnashed at me with their teeth.

¹⁷ Lord, how long will You look on?Rescue me from their destructions,My precious life from the lions.¹⁸ I will give You thanks in the great assembly;I will praise You among many 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.²⁰ For they do not speak peace,But they devise deceitful mattersAgainst the quiet ones in the land.²¹ They also opened their mouth wide against me,And said, “Aha, aha!Our eyes have seen it.”

²² This You have seen, O Lord;Do not keep silence.O Lord, do not be far from me.²³ Stir up Yourself, and awake to my vindication,To my cause, my God and my Lord.²⁴ Vindicate me, O Lord my God, according to Your righteousness;And let them not rejoice over me.²⁵ Let them not say in their hearts, “Ah, so we would have it!”Let them not say, “We have swallowed him up.”

²⁶ Let them be ashamed and brought to mutual confusionWho rejoice at my hurt;Let them be clothed with shame and dishonorWho exalt themselves against me.

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.”²⁸ And my tongue shall speak of Your righteousnessAnd of Your praise all the day long.