Psalm 35

⁴ Let those who are trying to kill me
    be brought down in dishonor.
Let those who plan to destroy me
    be turned back in terror.
⁵ Let them be like straw blowing in the wind,
    while the angel of the Lord drives them away.
⁶ Let their path be dark and slippery,
    while the angel of the Lord chases them.
⁷ They set a trap for me without any reason.
    Without any reason they dug a pit to catch me.
⁸ So let them be destroyed without warning.
    Let the trap they set for me catch them.
    Let them fall into the pit and be destroyed.
⁹ Then I will be full of joy because of what the Lord has done.
    I will be glad because he has saved me.
¹⁰ My whole being will cry out,
    “Who is like you, Lord?
You save poor people from those who are too strong for them.
    You save poor and needy people from those who rob them.”

¹¹ Mean people come forward to speak against me.
    They ask me things I don’t know anything about.
¹² They pay me back with evil, even though I was good to them.
    They leave me like someone who has lost a family member.
¹³ But when they were sick, I put on the clothing of sadness.
    I made myself humble by going without food.
My prayers for them weren’t always answered.
¹⁴     So I went around crying
    as if I were mourning over my friend or relative.
I bowed my head in sadness
    as if I were weeping over my mother.
¹⁵ But when I tripped and fell, they were all very happy.
    Attackers gathered against me when I didn’t even know it.
    They kept on telling lies about me.
¹⁶ Like ungodly people, they were mean and made fun of me.
    They ground their teeth at me in hate.
¹⁷ Lord, how much longer will you just look on?
    Save me from their deadly attacks.
Save the only life I have.
    Save me from these lions.
¹⁸ I will give you thanks in the whole community.
    Among all your people I will praise you.

¹⁹ Don’t let those who are my enemies without any reason
    laugh at me and make fun of me.
Don’t let those who hate me without any reason
    wink at me with an evil purpose.
²⁰ They don’t speak words of peace.
    They make up false charges
    against those who live quietly in the land.
²¹ They make fun of me.
    They say, “With our own eyes we have seen what you did.”

²² Lord, you have seen this. Don’t be silent.
    Lord, don’t be far away from me.
²³ Wake up! Rise up to help me!
    My God and Lord, stand up for me.
²⁴ Lord my God, when you hand down your sentence, let it be in my favor.
    You always do what is right.
    Don’t let my enemies have the joy of seeing me fall.
²⁵ Don’t let them think, “That’s exactly what we wanted!”
    Don’t let them say, “We have swallowed him up.”

²⁶ Let all those who laugh at me because I’m in trouble
    be ashamed and bewildered.
Let all who think they are better than I am
    put on shame and dishonor as if they were clothes.
²⁷ Let those who are happy when my name is cleared
    shout with joy and gladness.
Let them always say, “May the Lord be honored.
    He is pleased when everything goes well with the one who serves him.”
²⁸ You always do what is right. My tongue will speak about it
    and praise you all day long.