Psalm 35

New International Version

Psalm 35

Of David.

¹Contend,^(A) Lord, with those who contend with me;
    fight^(B) against those who fight against me.
²Take up shield^(C) and armor;
    arise^(D) and come to my aid.^(E)
³Brandish spear^(F) and javelin^[a]^(G)
    against those who pursue me.
Say to me,
    “I am your salvation.^(H)”

⁴May those who seek my life^(I)
    be disgraced^(J) and put to shame;^(K)
may those who plot my ruin
    be turned back^(L) in dismay.
⁵May they be like chaff^(M) before the wind,
    with the angel of the Lord^(N) driving them away;
⁶may their path be dark and slippery,
    with the angel of the Lord pursuing them.

⁷Since they hid their net^(O) for me without cause^(P)
    and without cause dug a pit^(Q) for me,
⁸may ruin overtake them by surprise—^(R)
    may the net they hid entangle them,
    may they fall into the pit,^(S) to their ruin.
⁹Then my soul will rejoice^(T) in the Lord
    and delight in his salvation.^(U)
¹⁰My whole being will exclaim,
    “Who is like you,^(V) Lord?
You rescue the poor from those too strong^(W) for them,
    the poor and needy^(X) from those who rob them.”

¹¹Ruthless witnesses^(Y) come forward;
    they question me on things I know nothing about.
¹²They repay me evil for good^(Z)
    and leave me like one bereaved.
¹³Yet when they were ill, I put on sackcloth^(AA)
    and humbled myself with fasting.^(AB)
When my prayers returned to me unanswered,
¹⁴    I went about mourning^(AC)
    as though for my friend or brother.
I bowed my head in grief
    as though weeping for my mother.
¹⁵But when I stumbled, they gathered in glee;^(AD)
    assailants gathered against me without my knowledge.
    They slandered^(AE) me without ceasing.
¹⁶Like the ungodly they maliciously mocked;^[b]^(AF)
    they gnashed their teeth^(AG) at me.

¹⁷How long,^(AH) Lord, will you look on?
    Rescue me from their ravages,
    my precious life^(AI) from these lions.^(AJ)
¹⁸I will give you thanks in the great assembly;^(AK)
    among the throngs^(AL) I will praise you.^(AM)
¹⁹Do not let those gloat over me
    who are my enemies^(AN) without cause;
do not let those who hate me without reason^(AO)
    maliciously wink the eye.^(AP)
²⁰They do not speak peaceably,
    but devise false accusations^(AQ)
    against those who live quietly in the land.
²¹They sneer^(AR) at me and say, “Aha! Aha!^(AS)
    With our own eyes we have seen it.”

²²Lord, you have seen^(AT) this; do not be silent.
    Do not be far^(AU) from me, Lord.
²³Awake,^(AV) and rise^(AW) to my defense!
    Contend^(AX) for me, my God and Lord.
²⁴Vindicate me in your righteousness, Lord my God;
    do not let them gloat^(AY) over me.
²⁵Do not let them think, “Aha,^(AZ) just what we wanted!”
    or say, “We have swallowed him up.”^(BA)

²⁶May all who gloat^(BB) over my distress^(BC)
    be put to shame^(BD) and confusion;
may all who exalt themselves over me^(BE)
    be clothed with shame and disgrace.
²⁷May those who delight in my vindication^(BF)
    shout for joy^(BG) and gladness;
may they always say, “The Lord be exalted,
    who delights^(BH) in the well-being of his servant.”^(BI)

²⁸My tongue will proclaim your righteousness,^(BJ)
your praises all day long.^(BK)

Footnotes

Psalm 35:3 Or and block the way
Psalm 35:16 Septuagint; Hebrew may mean Like an ungodly circle of mockers,

Psalm 109

New International Version

Psalm 109

For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.

¹My God, whom I praise,^(A)
    do not remain silent,^(B)
²for people who are wicked and deceitful^(C)
    have opened their mouths against me;
    they have spoken against me with lying tongues.^(D)
³With words of hatred^(E) they surround me;
    they attack me without cause.^(F)
⁴In return for my friendship they accuse me,
    but I am a man of prayer.^(G)
⁵They repay me evil for good,^(H)
    and hatred for my friendship.

⁶Appoint someone evil to oppose my enemy;
    let an accuser^(I) stand at his right hand.
⁷When he is tried, let him be found guilty,^(J)
    and may his prayers condemn^(K) him.
⁸May his days be few;^(L)
    may another take his place^(M) of leadership.
⁹May his children be fatherless
    and his wife a widow.^(N)
¹⁰May his children be wandering beggars;^(O)
    may they be driven^[a] from their ruined homes.
¹¹May a creditor^(P) seize all he has;
    may strangers plunder^(Q) the fruits of his labor.^(R)
¹²May no one extend kindness to him
    or take pity^(S) on his fatherless children.
¹³May his descendants be cut off,^(T)
    their names blotted out^(U) from the next generation.
¹⁴May the iniquity of his fathers^(V) be remembered before the Lord;
    may the sin of his mother never be blotted out.
¹⁵May their sins always remain before^(W) the Lord,
    that he may blot out their name^(X) from the earth.

¹⁶For he never thought of doing a kindness,
    but hounded to death the poor
    and the needy^(Y) and the brokenhearted.^(Z)
¹⁷He loved to pronounce a curse—
    may it come back on him.^(AA)
He found no pleasure in blessing—
    may it be far from him.
¹⁸He wore cursing^(AB) as his garment;
    it entered into his body like water,^(AC)
    into his bones like oil.
¹⁹May it be like a cloak wrapped^(AD) about him,
    like a belt tied forever around him.
²⁰May this be the Lord’s payment^(AE) to my accusers,
    to those who speak evil^(AF) of me.

²¹But you, Sovereign Lord,
    help me for your name’s sake;^(AG)
    out of the goodness of your love,^(AH) deliver me.^(AI)
²²For I am poor and needy,
    and my heart is wounded within me.
²³I fade away like an evening shadow;^(AJ)
    I am shaken off like a locust.
²⁴My knees give^(AK) way from fasting;^(AL)
    my body is thin and gaunt.^(AM)
²⁵I am an object of scorn^(AN) to my accusers;
    when they see me, they shake their heads.^(AO)

²⁶Help me,^(AP) Lord my God;
    save me according to your unfailing love.
²⁷Let them know^(AQ) that it is your hand,
    that you, Lord, have done it.
²⁸While they curse,^(AR) may you bless;
    may those who attack me be put to shame,
    but may your servant rejoice.^(AS)
²⁹May my accusers be clothed with disgrace
    and wrapped in shame^(AT) as in a cloak.

³⁰With my mouth I will greatly extol the Lord;
in the great throng^(AU) of worshipers I will praise him.
³¹For he stands at the right hand^(AV) of the needy,
to save their lives from those who would condemn them.

Footnotes

Psalm 109:10 Septuagint; Hebrew sought

Psalm 140

New International Version

Psalm 140^[a]

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

¹Rescue me,^(A) Lord, from evildoers;
    protect me from the violent,^(B)
²who devise evil plans^(C) in their hearts
    and stir up war^(D) every day.
³They make their tongues as sharp as^(E) a serpent’s;
    the poison of vipers^(F) is on their lips.^[b]

⁴Keep me safe,^(G) Lord, from the hands of the wicked;^(H)
    protect me from the violent,
    who devise ways to trip my feet.
⁵The arrogant have hidden a snare^(I) for me;
    they have spread out the cords of their net^(J)
    and have set traps^(K) for me along my path.

⁶I say to the Lord, “You are my God.”^(L)
    Hear, Lord, my cry for mercy.^(M)
⁷Sovereign Lord,^(N) my strong deliverer,
    you shield my head in the day of battle.
⁸Do not grant the wicked^(O) their desires, Lord;
    do not let their plans succeed.

⁹Those who surround me proudly rear their heads;
    may the mischief of their lips engulf them.^(P)
¹⁰May burning coals fall on them;
    may they be thrown into the fire,^(Q)
    into miry pits, never to rise.
¹¹May slanderers not be established in the land;
    may disaster hunt down the violent.^(R)

¹²I know that the Lord secures justice for the poor^(S)
and upholds the cause^(T) of the needy.^(U)
¹³Surely the righteous will praise your name,^(V)
and the upright will live^(W) in your presence.^(X)

Footnotes

Psalm 140:1 In Hebrew texts 140:1-13 is numbered 140:2-14.
Psalm 140:3 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verses 5 and 8.