Psalm 35

Of David.

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

May 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.
May they be like chaff(M) before the wind,
    with the angel of the Lord(N) driving them away;
may their path be dark and slippery,
    with the angel of the Lord pursuing them.

Since they hid their net(O) for me without cause(P)
    and without cause dug a pit(Q) for me,
may ruin overtake them by surprise—(R)
    may the net they hid entangle them,
    may they fall into the pit,(S) to their ruin.
Then my soul will rejoice(T) in the Lord
    and delight in his salvation.(U)
10 My 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.”

11 Ruthless witnesses(Y) come forward;
    they question me on things I know nothing about.
12 They repay me evil for good(Z)
    and leave me like one bereaved.
13 Yet 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.
15 But when I stumbled, they gathered in glee;(AD)
    assailants gathered against me without my knowledge.
    They slandered(AE) me without ceasing.
16 Like the ungodly they maliciously mocked;[b](AF)
    they gnashed their teeth(AG) at me.

17 How long,(AH) Lord, will you look on?
    Rescue me from their ravages,
    my precious life(AI) from these lions.(AJ)
18 I will give you thanks in the great assembly;(AK)
    among the throngs(AL) I will praise you.(AM)
19 Do 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)
20 They do not speak peaceably,
    but devise false accusations(AQ)
    against those who live quietly in the land.
21 They sneer(AR) at me and say, “Aha! Aha!(AS)
    With our own eyes we have seen it.”

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

26 May 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.
27 May 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)

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

Psalm 36[c]

For the director of music. Of David the servant of the Lord.

I have a message from God in my heart
    concerning the sinfulness of the wicked:[d](BL)
There is no fear(BM) of God
    before their eyes.(BN)

In their own eyes they flatter themselves
    too much to detect or hate their sin.(BO)
The words of their mouths(BP) are wicked and deceitful;(BQ)
    they fail to act wisely(BR) or do good.(BS)
Even on their beds they plot evil;(BT)
    they commit themselves to a sinful course(BU)
    and do not reject what is wrong.(BV)

Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens,
    your faithfulness(BW) to the skies.(BX)
Your righteousness(BY) is like the highest mountains,(BZ)
    your justice like the great deep.(CA)
    You, Lord, preserve both people and animals.(CB)
How priceless is your unfailing love, O God!(CC)
    People take refuge in the shadow of your wings.(CD)
They feast on the abundance of your house;(CE)
    you give them drink from your river(CF) of delights.(CG)
For with you is the fountain of life;(CH)
    in your light(CI) we see light.

10 Continue your love(CJ) to those who know you,(CK)
    your righteousness to the upright in heart.(CL)
11 May the foot of the proud not come against me,
    nor the hand of the wicked(CM) drive me away.
12 See how the evildoers lie fallen—
    thrown down, not able to rise!(CN)

Psalm 37[e]

Of David.

Do not fret because of those who are evil
    or be envious(CO) of those who do wrong;(CP)
for like the grass they will soon wither,(CQ)
    like green plants they will soon die away.(CR)

Trust in the Lord and do good;
    dwell in the land(CS) and enjoy safe pasture.(CT)
Take delight(CU) in the Lord,
    and he will give you the desires of your heart.(CV)

Commit your way to the Lord;
    trust in him(CW) and he will do this:
He will make your righteous reward(CX) shine like the dawn,(CY)
    your vindication like the noonday sun.

Be still(CZ) before the Lord
    and wait patiently(DA) for him;
do not fret(DB) when people succeed in their ways,(DC)
    when they carry out their wicked schemes.(DD)

Refrain from anger(DE) and turn from wrath;
    do not fret(DF)—it leads only to evil.
For those who are evil will be destroyed,(DG)
    but those who hope(DH) in the Lord will inherit the land.(DI)

10 A little while, and the wicked will be no more;(DJ)
    though you look for them, they will not be found.
11 But the meek will inherit the land(DK)
    and enjoy peace and prosperity.(DL)

12 The wicked plot(DM) against the righteous
    and gnash their teeth(DN) at them;
13 but the Lord laughs at the wicked,
    for he knows their day is coming.(DO)

14 The wicked draw the sword(DP)
    and bend the bow(DQ)
to bring down the poor and needy,(DR)
    to slay those whose ways are upright.
15 But their swords will pierce their own hearts,(DS)
    and their bows will be broken.(DT)

16 Better the little that the righteous have
    than the wealth(DU) of many wicked;
17 for the power of the wicked will be broken,(DV)
    but the Lord upholds(DW) the righteous.

18 The blameless spend their days under the Lord’s care,(DX)
    and their inheritance will endure forever.(DY)
19 In times of disaster they will not wither;
    in days of famine they will enjoy plenty.

20 But the wicked will perish:(DZ)
    Though the Lord’s enemies are like the flowers of the field,
    they will be consumed, they will go up in smoke.(EA)

21 The wicked borrow and do not repay,
    but the righteous give generously;(EB)
22 those the Lord blesses will inherit the land,
    but those he curses(EC) will be destroyed.(ED)

23 The Lord makes firm the steps(EE)
    of the one who delights(EF) in him;
24 though he may stumble, he will not fall,(EG)
    for the Lord upholds(EH) him with his hand.

25 I was young and now I am old,
    yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken(EI)
    or their children begging(EJ) bread.
26 They are always generous and lend freely;(EK)
    their children will be a blessing.[f](EL)

27 Turn from evil and do good;(EM)
    then you will dwell in the land forever.(EN)
28 For the Lord loves the just
    and will not forsake his faithful ones.(EO)

Wrongdoers will be completely destroyed[g];
    the offspring of the wicked will perish.(EP)
29 The righteous will inherit the land(EQ)
    and dwell in it forever.(ER)

30 The mouths of the righteous utter wisdom,(ES)
    and their tongues speak what is just.
31 The law of their God is in their hearts;(ET)
    their feet do not slip.(EU)

32 The wicked lie in wait(EV) for the righteous,(EW)
    intent on putting them to death;
33 but the Lord will not leave them in the power of the wicked
    or let them be condemned(EX) when brought to trial.(EY)

34 Hope in the Lord(EZ)
    and keep his way.(FA)
He will exalt you to inherit the land;
    when the wicked are destroyed,(FB) you will see(FC) it.

35 I have seen a wicked and ruthless man
    flourishing(FD) like a luxuriant native tree,
36 but he soon passed away and was no more;
    though I looked for him, he could not be found.(FE)

37 Consider the blameless,(FF) observe the upright;(FG)
    a future awaits those who seek peace.[h](FH)
38 But all sinners(FI) will be destroyed;(FJ)
    there will be no future[i] for the wicked.(FK)

39 The salvation(FL) of the righteous comes from the Lord;
    he is their stronghold in time of trouble.(FM)
40 The Lord helps(FN) them and delivers(FO) them;
    he delivers them from the wicked and saves(FP) them,
    because they take refuge(FQ) in him.

Psalm 38[j]

A psalm of David. A petition.

Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger
    or discipline me in your wrath.(FR)
Your arrows(FS) have pierced me,
    and your hand has come down on me.
Because of your wrath there is no health(FT) in my body;
    there is no soundness in my bones(FU) because of my sin.
My guilt has overwhelmed(FV) me
    like a burden too heavy to bear.(FW)

My wounds(FX) fester and are loathsome(FY)
    because of my sinful folly.(FZ)
I am bowed down(GA) and brought very low;
    all day long I go about mourning.(GB)
My back is filled with searing pain;(GC)
    there is no health(GD) in my body.
I am feeble and utterly crushed;(GE)
    I groan(GF) in anguish of heart.(GG)

All my longings(GH) lie open before you, Lord;
    my sighing(GI) is not hidden from you.
10 My heart pounds,(GJ) my strength fails(GK) me;
    even the light has gone from my eyes.(GL)
11 My friends and companions avoid me because of my wounds;(GM)
    my neighbors stay far away.
12 Those who want to kill me set their traps,(GN)
    those who would harm me talk of my ruin;(GO)
    all day long they scheme and lie.(GP)

13 I am like the deaf, who cannot hear,(GQ)
    like the mute, who cannot speak;
14 I have become like one who does not hear,
    whose mouth can offer no reply.
15 Lord, I wait(GR) for you;
    you will answer,(GS) Lord my God.
16 For I said, “Do not let them gloat(GT)
    or exalt themselves over me when my feet slip.”(GU)

17 For I am about to fall,(GV)
    and my pain(GW) is ever with me.
18 I confess my iniquity;(GX)
    I am troubled by my sin.
19 Many have become my enemies(GY) without cause[k];
    those who hate me(GZ) without reason(HA) are numerous.
20 Those who repay my good with evil(HB)
    lodge accusations(HC) against me,
    though I seek only to do what is good.

21 Lord, do not forsake me;(HD)
    do not be far(HE) from me, my God.
22 Come quickly(HF) to help me,(HG)
    my Lord and my Savior.(HH)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 35:3 Or and block the way
  2. Psalm 35:16 Septuagint; Hebrew may mean Like an ungodly circle of mockers,
  3. Psalm 36:1 In Hebrew texts 36:1-12 is numbered 36:2-13.
  4. Psalm 36:1 Or A message from God: The transgression of the wicked / resides in their hearts.
  5. Psalm 37:1 This psalm is an acrostic poem, the stanzas of which begin with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.
  6. Psalm 37:26 Or freely; / the names of their children will be used in blessings (see Gen. 48:20); or freely; / others will see that their children are blessed
  7. Psalm 37:28 See Septuagint; Hebrew They will be protected forever
  8. Psalm 37:37 Or upright; / those who seek peace will have posterity
  9. Psalm 37:38 Or posterity
  10. Psalm 38:1 In Hebrew texts 38:1-22 is numbered 38:2-23.
  11. Psalm 38:19 One Dead Sea Scrolls manuscript; Masoretic Text my vigorous enemies

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