Psalms 35:10-27

¹⁰All my bones will say, Lord, who is like you? The saviour of the poor man from the hands of the strong, of him who is poor and in need from him who takes his goods.

¹¹False witnesses got up: they put questions to me about crimes of which I had no knowledge.

¹²They gave me back evil for good, troubling my soul.

¹³But as for me, when they were ill I put on the clothing of sorrow: I went without food and was sad, and my prayer came back again to my heart.

¹⁴My behaviour was as if it had been my friend or my brother: I was bent low in grief like one whose mother is dead.

¹⁵But they took pleasure in my trouble, and came together, yes, low persons came together against me without my knowledge; they never came to an end of wounding me.

¹⁶Like men of deceit they put me to shame; the voice of their wrath was loud against me.

¹⁷Lord, how long will you be looking on? take my soul from their destruction, my life from the lions.

¹⁸I will give you praise in the great meeting; I will give you honour among a strong people.

¹⁹Do not let my haters be glad over me falsely; let not those who are against me without cause make sport of me.

²⁰For they do not say words of peace; in their deceit they are designing evil things against the quiet ones in the land.

²¹Their mouths were open wide against me, and they said, Aha, aha, our eyes have seen it.

²²You have seen this, O Lord; be not unmoved: O Lord, be not far from me.

²³Be awake, O Lord, be moved to take up my cause, my God and my Lord.

²⁴Be my judge, O Lord my God, in your righteousness; do not let them be glad over me.

²⁵Let them not say in their hearts, So we will have it: let them not say, We have put an end to him.

²⁶Let all those who take pleasure in my troubles be shamed and come to nothing: let those who are lifted up against me be covered with shame and have no honour.

²⁷Let those who are on my side give cries of joy; let them ever say, The Lord be praised, for he has pleasure in the peace of his servant.