Psalms 35:11-25

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.