Psalm 35: I am David, hear me whine!
Psalms Part 35 of 150
By David.
1 Contend, Yahweh, with those who contend with me.
Fight against those who fight against me.
Only thinking of yourself as usual.
2 Take hold of shield and buckler,
and stand up for my help.
Me, me, me, all the time.
3 Brandish the spear and block those who pursue me.
Tell my soul, “I am your salvation.”
4 Let those who seek after my soul be disappointed and brought to dishonor.
Let those who plot my ruin be turned back and confounded.
Revenge is so ugly.
5 Let them be as chaff before the wind,
Yahweh’s angel driving them on.
6 Let their way be dark and slippery,
Yahweh’s angel pursuing them.
So all you really want is Yahweh to do your dirty work for you.
7 For without cause they have hidden their net in a pit for me.
Without cause they have dug a pit for my soul.
Without cause? Have a look at your life and the things you have done.
8 Let destruction come on him unawares.
Let his net that he has hidden catch himself.
Let him fall into that destruction.
9 My soul shall be joyful in Yahweh.
It shall rejoice in his salvation.
10 All my bones shall say, “Yahweh, who is like you,
who delivers the poor from him who is too strong for him;
yes, the poor and the needy from him who robs him?”
If Yahweh was even half as powerful as the bible says, then there shouldn’t be poor or needy people.
11 Unrighteous witnesses rise up.
They ask me about things that I don’t know about.
12 They reward me evil for good,
to the bereaving of my soul.
13 But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth.
I afflicted my soul with fasting.
My prayer returned into my own bosom.
14 I behaved myself as though it had been my friend or my brother.
I bowed down mourning, as one who mourns his mother.
15 But in my adversity, they rejoiced, and gathered themselves together.
The attackers gathered themselves together against me, and I didn’t know it.
They tore at me, and didn’t cease.
Who made them that way? In whose image are they made? Who commands them? Who allows them to behave in this manner?
16 Like the profane mockers in feasts,
they gnashed their teeth at me.
17 Lord, how long will you look on?
Rescue my soul from their destruction,
my precious life from the lions.
If you were all you make yourself out to be, why has Yahweh allowed you to fall so far as to have so many enemies? Why has he forsaken you?
18 I will give you thanks in the great assembly.
I will praise you among many people.
Bribing God?
19 Don’t let those who are my enemies wrongfully rejoice over me;
neither let those who hate me without a cause wink their eyes.
Why would they hate you without cause?
20 For they don’t speak peace,
but they devise deceitful words against those who are quiet in the land.
21 Yes, they opened their mouth wide against me.
They said, “Aha! Aha! Our eye has seen it!”
22 You have seen it, Yahweh. Don’t keep silent.
Lord, don’t be far from me.
23 Wake up! Rise up to defend me, my God!
My Lord, contend for me!
You are King and you can’t defend yourself? You can’t rule your own kingdom?
24 Vindicate me, Yahweh my God, according to your righteousness.
Don’t let them gloat over me.
25 Don’t let them say in their heart, “Aha! That’s the way we want it!”
Don’t let them say, “We have swallowed him up!”
Sticks and stones dude.
26 Let them be disappointed and confounded together who rejoice at my calamity.
Let them be clothed with shame and dishonor who magnify themselves against me.
Why should God give you what you wish when it is only the same as what your enemies wish?
27 Let them shout for joy and be glad, who favor my righteous cause.
It’s hard to trust anyone who calls his own cause righteous.
Yes, let them say continually, “Yahweh be magnified,
who has pleasure in the prosperity of his servant!”
28 My tongue shall talk about your righteousness and about your praise all day long.
Crawler.