Psalms 35:14-23

¹⁴I behaved myself as though it had been my friend or my brother. I bowed down mourning, as one who mourns his mother.

¹⁵But in my adversity, they rejoiced, and gathered themselves together. The attackers gathered themselves together against me, and I didn’t know it. They tore at me, and didn’t cease.

¹⁶Like the profane mockers in feasts, they gnashed their teeth at me.

¹⁷Lord, how long will you look on? Rescue my soul from their destruction, my precious life from the lions.

¹⁸I will give you thanks in the great assembly. I will praise you amongst many people.

¹⁹Don’t let those who are my enemies wrongfully rejoice over me; neither let those who hate me without a cause wink their eyes.

²⁰For they don’t speak peace, but they devise deceitful words against those who are quiet in the land.

²¹Yes, they opened their mouth wide against me. They said, “Aha! Aha! Our eye has seen it!”

²²You have seen it, LORD. Don’t keep silent. Lord, don’t be far from me.

²³Wake up! Rise up to defend me, my God! My Lord, contend for me!