Psalm 35

Lord, plead my cause against my foes;
With such as fight against me, fight:
Arise, thy ample Shield oppose,
And with thy Sword defend my right.
Addresse thy Speare; those in their way
Encounter, who my Soule invade:
To her, O let thy Spirit say,
I am thy God, and saving Aide.
Let those, who my disgrace contrive,
Hang downe their heads, for flight design'd:
Who seeke my fall, let Angels drive
Like Chaffe before the blustring Wind.
Obscure and slippery be their path;
Let winged Troups pursue their foile;
Since they for me with causelesse wrath
Have dig'd a pit, and pich't a Toile.
Let sodaine ruine them destroy;
Mesht in the Nets themselves had laid:
Then in the Lord my Soule shall joy,
And glory in his timely Aide.
My Bones shall say, O who like thee,
That arm'st the Weake against the Strong!
That do'st the Poore and Needy free
From outrage, and too powerfull wrong!
False witnesses against me stood,
Who unknowne accusations brought:
That Evill rendered for Good,
And closely my confusion sought.
I in their sicknesse did condole;
Vnfainedly in Sack-cloth mourn'd.
With fasting humbled my sad Soule,
And often to my Prayers return'd:
Him visited both Night and Day,
As if an ancient Friend or Brother:
In Blacke upon the Earth I lay,
And wept as for my dying Mother.
Yet these rejoyced in my woe;
False Comforters, about me crowd:
And least I should their cunning know,
They rent their Clothes, aud cry'd aloud.
Like Hypocrites at Feasts, they jeere;
Whose gnashing teeth their hate professe:
O Lord, how long wilt thou forbeare,
And onely looke on my distresse?
O save from those, who smile, and kill;
My Dearling from the Lions jawes:
I in the great Assembly will
Then praise thy Name with full applause.
Let not my causelesse Enemies
Rejoyce in my afflicted state:
Nor winke at me with scornefull eyes,
Who swell with undeserved hate.
Of Peace they speake not; rather they
The peaceable with fraud pursue:
Who wry their mouths at me, and say,
Ha, Ha! our eyes thy ruine view.
This seene, O stand no longer mute;
Nor, Lord, desert my Innocence.
Awake, arise: O prosecute
My Cause, and plead in my Defence.
With Justice judge: nor let them say
In triumph; We our wish possesse:
Nor in their mirthfull hearts, Ha, Ha!
W'have swallow'd him in his distresse.
Wrath and confusion sease on those,
Who in my tribulation joy:
Let them who glory in my woes,
Be cloth'd with shame and infamy.
Let those eternally rejoyce,
Who favour and assist my right:
For ever with exalted voyce
The goodnesse of our God recite.
And say, O magnifie his Name,
Who glories in his servants peace.
My tongue his Justice shall proclaime,
Nor ever in his praises cease.