Psalm XXXV

Lord plead my righteous cause with them
Who trouble me with [envious] strife,
Fight against them that causelesly
Do fight to take [away] my life.

Of shield and buckler take thou hold,
Stand up [defend] and help thou me;

Draw out the spear, and stop their way
That [causeless] persecutors be.
Say to my soul, I will thee save.

Let them to [utter] shame be brought
Who seek my life, and plot my hurt,
Them foil [confound] and bring to nought.

Make them like chaff before the wind,
[And let] God's Angel chase them all:

Make their way dark and slippery,
God's Angel [hunt and] make them fall.

They hid for me a snaring net,
In malice without [a just] cause;
They dig'd a pit to take my soul,
In [cruel] craft against thy Laws.

Let him be ruin'd unawares,
And caught in his own [hidden] net;
Let him fall in that pit and snare
Which his own hands have [dig'd and] set.

In God and his salvation then
My soul shall [glad and] joyful be;

My very flesh and bones shall say,
Lord, who [or what] is like to thee?
Who sav'st the poor and weak from them
That for him are too [great and] strong;
The poor and needy from the men
Who him oppress by [spoil and] wrong.

False witness rose; they to my charge
Things [false of] which I knew not laid.

To spoil my soul unthankful men,
Evil for good [to me] repaid.

But as for me, when they were sick,
In sackcloth clad [for them] I mourn'd;
With fasting I humbled my soul,
My prayer home to me return'd.

For him I sadly walk'd, as for
A real friend or [loving] brother,
I heavily bow'd down, as one
That mourneth for his [dying] mother.

But they rejoyced in my woe,
[Combin'd] vile abjects met to plot;
Unknown to me they gathered were,
[And they] to tear me ceased not.

And not unlike Stage-hypocrites
My [cruel] adversaries be;
And in their feasts with scoffing jeasts,
They [grind and] gnash their teeth on me.

But Lord, how long wilt thou look on?
From [contriv'd] ruin rescue me;
And let my soul, my darling be
From [greedy] Lions kept by thee.

Then I will render thanks to thee,
[Even] in [the] Congregations great;
And I will celebrate thy praise
Where [the strong] multitudes do meet.

Let not them over me rejoyce,
Who hate [and hurt] me wrongfully;
Let not my causeless foes triumph,
And wink with scornful [scoffing] eye.

Their heart and talk is not for peace,
They [false and] crafty plots prepare
Against all those that in the land
Hurt none, but [to all] quite are.

Yea their malicious [lying] mouths
They [widely] opened against me,
And with triumphing scorn did say,
[His crime] his fall our eyes did see.

All this, O Lord, thine eye hath seen,
O do not [longer] silent stand;
Against these false malicious men
[For help] be thou still near at hand.

Stir up thy self, and shew thy power,
To judge my cause [do thou] awake;
My righteous cause, well known to thee,
[My Lord] my God, do not forsake.

O Lord my God, do thou me judge
After thy [perfect] righteousness;
And suffer not them over me
Their [boasting] triumph to express.

Let them not say insultingly,
[Aha] so we would have it be.
Let them not proudly boast and say
That they have [wholly] swallowed me.

Shame and confusion come to them
Who at my hurt [and fall] are glad;
They that against me vaunt themselves,
With shame [cast down] let them be clad.

Let all that love my righteous cause,
[Gladly] their joy with shouts express,
And say, The Lord be magnify'd,
Who loves his [faithful] servants peace.

To speak thy righteousness shall be
The [glad] employment of my tongue;
And thy high praises to set forth
With [joy and] gladness all day long.