Psalms 34 CPDV

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

⁸ Let 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.

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

¹⁰ All 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.

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

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

¹³ But 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.

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

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

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

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

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

¹⁹ May 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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

²⁶ Let 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.

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

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