Psalms 34

¹Of David himself. O Lord, judge those who harm me; assail those who attack me.

²Take hold of weapons and a shield, and rise up in assistance to me.

³Bring forth the spear, and close in on those who persecute me. Say to my soul, “I am your salvation.”

⁴Let them be confounded and in awe, who pursue my soul. Let them be turned back and be confounded, who think up evil against me.

⁵May they become like dust before the face of the wind, and let the Angel of the Lord hem them in.

⁶May their way become dark and slippery, and may the Angel of the Lord pursue them.

⁷For, without cause, they have concealed their snare for me unto destruction. Over nothing, they have rebuked my soul.

⁸Let the snare, of which he is ignorant, come upon him, and let the deception, which he has hidden, take hold of him: and may he fall into that very snare.

⁹But my soul will exult in the Lord and delight over his salvation.

¹⁰All my bones will say, “Lord, who is like you?” He rescues the needy from the hand of the stronger one, the indigent and the poor from those who plunder him.

¹¹Unfair witnesses have risen up, interrogating me about things of which I am ignorant.

¹²They repaid me evil for good, to the deprivation of my soul.

¹³But as for me, when they were harassing me, I was clothed with haircloth. I humbled my soul with fasting, and my prayer will become my sinews.

¹⁴Like a neighbor, and like our brother, so did I please; like one mourning and contrite, so was I humbled.

¹⁵And they have been joyful against me, and they joined together. Scourges have been gathered over me, and I was ignorant of it.

¹⁶They have been scattered, yet they were unremorseful. They have tested me. They scoffed at me with scorn. They gnashed their teeth over me.

¹⁷Lord, when will you look down upon me? Restore my soul from before their malice, my only one from before the lions.

¹⁸I will confess to you in a great Church. I will praise you among a weighty people.

¹⁹May those who are my unjust adversaries not be glad over me: those who have hated me without cause, and who nod agreement with their eyes.

²⁰For indeed, they spoke peacefully to me; and speaking with passion to the earth, they intended deceit.

²¹And they opened their mouth wide over me. They said, “Well, well, our eyes have seen.”

²²You have seen, O Lord, do not be silent. Lord, do not depart from me.

²³Rise up and be attentive to my judgment, to my cause, my God and my Lord.

²⁴Judge me according to your justice, O Lord, my God, and do not let them be glad over me.

²⁵Do not let them say in their hearts, “Well, well, to our soul.” Neither let them say, “We have devoured him.”

²⁶Let them blush and be in awe together, those who congratulate at my misfortunes. Let them be clothed with confusion and awe, who speak great things against me.

²⁷Let them exult and rejoice, who wish my justice, and let them ever say, “The Lord be magnified,” who will the peace of his servant.

²⁸And so my tongue will express your justice: your praise all day long.

Psalms 34

¹For David himself. Judge thou, O Lord, them that wrong me: overthrow them that fight against me.

²Take hold of arms and shield: and rise up to help me.

³Bring out the sword, and shut up the way against them that persecute me: say to my soul: I am thy salvation.

⁴Let them be confounded and ashamed that seek after my soul. Let them be turned back and be confounded that devise evil against me.

⁵Let them become as dust before the wind: and let the angel of the Lord straiten them.

⁶Let their way become dark and slippery; and let the angel of the Lord pursue them.

⁷For without cause they have hidden their net for me unto destruction: without cause they have upbraided my soul.

⁸Let the snare which he knoweth not come upon him: and let the net which he hath hidden catch him: and into that very snare let them fall.

⁹But my soul shall rejoice in the Lord; and shall be delighted in his salvation.

¹⁰All my bones shall say: Lord, who is like to thee? Who deliverest the poor from the hand of them that are stronger than he; the needy and the poor from them that strip him.

¹¹Unjust witnesses rising up have asked me things I knew not.

¹²They repaid me evil for good: to the depriving me of my soul.

¹³But as for me, when they were troublesome to me, I was clothed with haircloth. I humbled my soul with fasting; and my prayer shall be turned into my bosom.

¹⁴As a neighbour and as an own brother, so did I please: as one mourning and sorrowful so was I humbled.

¹⁵But they rejoiced against me, and came together: scourges were gathered together upon me, and I knew not.

¹⁶They were separated, and repented not: they tempted me, they scoffed at me with scorn: they gnashed upon me with their teeth.

¹⁷Lord, when wilt thou look upon me? rescue thou my soul from their malice: my only one from the lions.

¹⁸I will give thanks to thee in a great church; I will praise thee in a strong people.

¹⁹Let not them that are my enemies wrongfully rejoice over me: who have hated me without cause, and wink with the eyes.

²⁰For they spoke indeed peaceably to me; and speaking in the anger of the earth they devised guile.

²¹And they opened their mouth wide against me; they said: Well done, well done, our eyes have seen it.

²²Thou hast seen, O Lord, be not thou silent: O Lord, depart not from me.

²³Arise, and be attentive to my judgment: to my cause, my God, and my Lord.

²⁴Judge me, O Lord my God according to thy justice, and let them not rejoice over me.

²⁵Let them not say in their hearts: It is well, it is well, to our mind: neither let them say: We have swallowed him up.

²⁶Let them blush: and be ashamed together, who rejoice at my evils. Let them be clothed with confusion and shame, who speak great things against me.

²⁷Let them rejoice and be glad, who are well pleased with my justice, and let them say always: The Lord be magnified, who delights in the peace of his servant.

²⁸And my tongue shall meditate thy justice, thy praise all the day long.