Psalms 35
35
Rescue Me
A poetic song by King David # 35 This is the first of seven Psalms in which David cried out for vengeance upon his enemies (see Pss. 52; 58; 59; 69; 109; 137).
Part One – David, a Warrior
1O Lord, fight for me! Harass the hecklers; accuse my accusers.
Fight those who fight against me.
2-3Put on your armor, Lord; take up your shield and protect me.
Rise up, mighty God! Grab your weapons of war
and block the way of the wicked who come to fight me.
Stand for me when they stand against me!
Speak over my soul: “I am your strong Savior!” # 35:2–3 The Aramaic word used here is found thirty-three times in the Psalms and clearly means “Savior.” Although a New Testament concept, David had a deep understanding almost one thousand years before the Savior was born that God would become his Savior. The Hebrew word for “Savior,” Yasha, is very similar to the name Jesus, Yeshua.
4Humiliate those who seek my harm. Defeat them all!
Frustrate their plans to defeat me and drive them back.
Disgrace them all as they have devised their plans to disgrace me.
5Blow them away like dust in the wind,
with the angel of Almighty God driving them back!
6Make the road in front of them nothing but slippery darkness,
with the angel of Yahweh behind them, chasing them away!
7For though I did nothing wrong to them, they set a trap for me,
wanting me to fail and fall.
8Surprise them with your ambush, Lord,
and catch them in the very trap they set for me.
Let them be the ones to fail and fall into destruction!
9Then my fears will dissolve into limitless joy;
my whole being will overflow with gladness
because of your mighty deliverance.
10Everything inside of me will shout it out:
“There’s no one like you, Lord!”
For look at how you protect the weak and helpless
from the strong and heartless who oppress them.
Part Two – David, a Witness
11They are malicious men, hostile witnesses of wrong.
They rise up against me, accusers appearing out of nowhere.
12When I show them mercy, they bring me misery.
I’m forsaken and forlorn, like a motherless child.
13I even prayed over them when they were sick.
I was burdened and bowed low with fasting
and interceded for their healing,
and I didn’t stop praying.
14I grieved for them, heavyhearted,
as though they were my dearest family members
or my good friends who were sick,
nearing death, needing prayer.
15But when I was the one who tripped up and stumbled,
they came together to slander me,
rejoicing in my time of trouble, tearing me to shreds
with their lies and betrayal.
16These nameless ruffians,
mocking me like godless fools at a feast—
how they delight in throwing mud on my name.
17God, how long can you just stand there doing nothing?
Now is the time to act.
Rescue me from these brutal men,
for I am being torn to shreds by these beasts
who are out to get me.
Save me from their rage, their cruel grasp.
18Then I will praise you wherever I go.
And when everyone gathers for worship,
I will lift up your praise with a shout
in front of the largest crowd I can find!
Part Three – David, a Worshiper
19Don’t let those who fight me for no reason be victorious.
Don’t let them succeed, these heartless haters
who come against me with their gloating sneers.
20They are the ones who would never seek peace as friends,
for they are ever devising deceit against the innocent ones
who mind their own business.
21They open their mouths with ugly grins,
gloating with glee over my every fault.
“Look,” they say, “we caught him red-handed!
We saw him fall with our own eyes!”
22Yahweh, my caring God, you have been there all along.
You have seen their hypocrisy.
Yahweh, don’t let them get away with this.
Don’t walk away without doing something.
23Now is the time to awake! Rise up, Lord!
Vindicate me, my Lord and my God!
24You have every right to judge me, Lord,
according to your righteousness,
but don’t let them rejoice over me when I stumble.
25-26Let them all be ashamed of themselves,
humiliated when they rejoice over my every blunder.
Shame them, Lord, when they say, “We saw what he did.
Now we have him right where we want him.
Let’s get him while he’s down!”
Make them look ridiculous when they exalt themselves over me.
May they all be disgraced and dishonored!
27But let all my true friends shout for joy,
all those who know and love what I do for you.
Let them all say, “The Lord is great,
and he delights in the prosperity of his servant.”
28Then I won’t be able to hold it in—
everyone will hear my joyous praises all day long!
Your righteousness will be the theme of my glory-song of praise!
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Psalms 35: TPT
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Learn More About The Passion TranslationPsalms 35
35
A Psalm of David.
1Contend, O Lord, with those who contend with me;
fight against those who fight against me!
2Take hold of shield and buckler,
and rise for my help!
3Draw the spear and javelin
against my pursuers!
Say to my soul,
“I am your deliverance!”
4Let them be put to shame and dishonor
who seek after my life!
Let them be turned back and confounded
who devise evil against me!
5Let them be like chaff before the wind,
with the angel of the Lord driving them on!
6Let their way be dark and slippery,
with the angel of the Lord pursuing them!
7For without cause they hid their net for me;
without cause they dug a pit#35.7 The word pitis transposed from the preceding line for my life.
8Let ruin come upon them unawares!
And let the net which they hid ensnare them;
let them fall therein to ruin!
9Then my soul shall rejoice in the Lord,
exulting in his deliverance.
10All my bones shall say,
“O Lord, who is like thee,
thou who deliverest the weak
from him who is too strong for him,
the weak and needy from him who despoils him?”
11Malicious witnesses rise up;
they ask me of things that I know not.
12They requite me evil for good;
my soul is forlorn.
13But I, when they were sick—
I wore sackcloth,
I afflicted myself with fasting.
I prayed with head bowed#35.13 Or My prayer turned back on my bosom,
14as though I grieved for my friend or my brother;
I went about as one who laments his mother,
bowed down and in mourning.
15But at my stumbling they gathered in glee,
they gathered together against me;
cripples whom I knew not
slandered me without ceasing;
16they impiously mocked more and more,#35.16 Cn Compare Gk: Heb like the profanest of mockers of a cake
gnashing at me with their teeth.
17How long, O Lord, wilt thou look on?
Rescue me from their ravages,
my life from the lions!
18Then I will thank thee in the great congregation;
in the mighty throng I will praise thee.
19 #
Ps 69.4; Jn 15.25. Let not those rejoice over me
who are wrongfully my foes,
and let not those wink the eye
who hate me without cause.
20For they do not speak peace,
but against those who are quiet in the land
they conceive words of deceit.
21They open wide their mouths against me;
they say, “Aha, Aha!
our eyes have seen it!”
22Thou hast seen, O Lord; be not silent!
O Lord, be not far from me!
23Bestir thyself, and awake for my right,
for my cause, my God and my Lord!
24Vindicate me, O Lord, my God, according to thy righteousness;
and let them not rejoice over me!
25Let them not say to themselves,
“Aha, we have our heart's desire!”
Let them not say, “We have swallowed him up.”
26Let them be put to shame and confusion altogether
who rejoice at my calamity!
Let them be clothed with shame and dishonor
who magnify themselves against me!
27Let those who desire my vindication
shout for joy and be glad,
and say evermore,
“Great is the Lord,
who delights in the welfare of his servant!”
28Then my tongue shall tell of thy righteousness
and of thy praise all the day long.
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