let those who devise evils against me be thwarted and put to shame.
5. Let them be like dust before the wind,
with an angel of the Lord
afflicting them.
6. Let their path be dark and slippery,
with an angel of the Lord pursuing them.
7. For without cause they have hid their destructive snare for me,
and without basis they have reproached my soul.
8. Let a snare which they see
not catch them,
and the trap which they have
hidden snap;
and by that very snare let them
fall victim.
9. But my soul shall exult in the Lord,
and take delight in his salvation.
10. All my bones shall declare,
O Lord, who is like you!
Delivering the poor from the hand which is stronger,
the poor and needy from their despoilers.
11. Unjust witnesses arose,
and charged me with things I knew not.
12. They paid me back evil for good,
even bereavement to my soul.
13. But I, when they troubled me,
clothed myself in sackcloth,
and humbled my soul with fasting,
and my prayer shall be directed
to my bosom.
14. I behaved kindly towards them,
as to one of our neighbors or to
a brother.
I humbled myself as one mourning,
as one sad of countenance.
15. But they rejoiced over me gathering together,
scourges were brought against me, and I didn’t know it.
They were scattered, but they felt no compunction.
16. They tested and tortured me,
they sneered at me most contemptuously,
they gnashed their teeth at me.
17. O Lord, when will you look down upon me?
Deliver my soul from their malice,
my only-begotten from the lions.
18. I will give you thanks in the great assembly,
amid vast throngs I will praise you.
19. Let not those who are my enemies for no reason,
rejoice over me;
those who hate me without cause,
who wink at each other.
20. For indeed in my presence they spoke peaceably,
but with rage they were weaving plots.
21. Then their mouths opened wide against me,
blurting, “Aha! Aha! Our own eyes have seen it!”
22. You, O Lord have seen!
Do not remain silent!
O Lord, do not draw away from me!
23. Rise up, O Lord, and attend
to my trial,
O my God and my Lord, for the sake of my cause.
24. Judge me, O Lord,
according to your righteousness,
O Lord my God;
and let them not rejoice on my account.
25. Let them not say in their hearts,
Aha! Aha! It is to our mind!
Nor let them say,
We have swallowed him alive!
26. Let them be confounded and ashamed together,
who rejoice over my calamities;
let them be clothed with shame and confusion,
who make great claims against me.
27. Let those who desire my justification,
exult with joy and be filled
with gladness.
Let those who desire the peace
of your servant,
continually repeat, “The Lord be magnified!”
28. Thus shall my tongue speak of your righteousness,
and of your praise all the day long.
Psalm 35
5. O Lord, your mercy dwells
in the heavens,
and your truth is as high as the clouds.
6. Your righteousness is as solid as the mountains of God,
and your judgments are as great as the deep abyss.
7. As you, O Lord, have greatly multiplied your mercy;
let the children of the earth trust in the shelter of your wings.
8. They shall be fully satiated with the fatness of your house,
and you shall cause them to drink the full stream of your delights.
9. For with you is the wellspring of life,
and in your light we shall see light.
10. Extend your mercy to those who know you,
and your righteousness to those who are upright of heart.
11. Let not the foot of pride come against me,
nor the hand of sinners shake me.
12. There, all the evil doers have fallen!
They are cast out and will not be able to stand.
Psalm 37
1. O Lord, rebuke me not in your wrath;
nor chastise me in your anger.
2. For your darts are fixed deeply
within me,
and your hand is pressed heavily
upon me.
3. There is no health in my flesh because of your anger;
there is no peace for my bones because of my sins.
4. For my transgressions have soared over my head;
they have pressed heavily upon me like a weighty burden.
5. My wounds become infected
and malignant,
on account of my foolishness.
6. I have been in misery,
totally bent over—
all the day long I have been
in mourning.
7.