Psalms 34
1 A Psalm of
David.
Judge thou, O Lord, them that injure me, fight against them that fight against
me. 2 Take hold of shield and buckler,
and arise for my help. 3 Bring forth a
sword, and stop the way against them that persecute
me: say to my soul, I am thy salvation.
4 Let them that seek my soul be
ashamed and confounded: let them that devise evils against me be turned back
and put to shame. 5 Let them be as
dust before the wind, and an angel of the Lord afflicting them.
6 Let their way be dark and slippery,
and an angel of the Lord persecuting them.
7 For without cause they have hid for
me their destructive snare: without a cause they have reproached my soul.
8 Let a snare which they know not come
upon them: and the gin which they hid take them; and let them fall into the
very same snare. 9 But my soul shall
exult in the Lord: it shall delight in his salvation.
10 All my bones shall say, O Lord,
who is like to thee? delivering the poor out of the hand of them that are
stronger than he, yea, the poor and needy one from them that spoil him.
11 Unjust witnesses arose, and asked
me of things I knew not. 12 They
rewarded me evil for good, and bereavement to my soul.
13 But I, when they troubled me, put
on sackcloth, and humbled my soul with fasting: and my prayer shall return to
my own bosom.
14 I behaved agreeably towards them
as if it had been our neighbour
or brother: I humbled myself as one mourning and sad
of countenance. 15 Yet they rejoiced
against me, and plagues were
aThe Gr. is repeated, by a Hebraism.plentifully brought against me, and I knew it not:
they were scattered, but
bSee Acts 2. 37.repented not. 16 They tempted me,
they sneered at me most contemptuously, they gnashed their teeth upon me.
17 O Lord, when wilt thou look upon
me? Deliver my soul from their mischief, mine only-begotten one from the
lions. 18 I will give thanks to thee
even in a great congregation: in an abundant people I will praise thee.
19 Let not them that are mine enemies
without a cause rejoice against me; who hate me for nothing, and wink with
their eyes. 20 For to me they spoke
peaceably, but imagined deceits in their anger.
21 And they opened wide their mouth
upon me; they said, Aha, aha, our eyes have seen it.
22 Thou hast seen
it, O Lord: keep not silence: O Lord, withdraw not
thyself from me.
23 Awake, O Lord, and attend to my
judgment, even to my cause, my God and my Lord.
24 Judge me, O Lord, according to thy
righteousness, O Lord my God; and let them not rejoice against me.
25 Let them not say in their hearts,
Aha, aha, it is pleasing to our soul: neither let
them say, We have devoured him.
26 Let them be confounded and ashamed
together that rejoice at my afflictions: let them be clothed with shame and
confusion that speak great swelling words against me.
27 Let them that rejoice in my
righteousness exult and be glad: and let them say continually, The Lord be
magnified, who desire the peace of his servant.
28 And my tongue shall meditate on
thy righteousness, and on thy praise all the day.