Written by David, when he pretended to be insane before Abimelech, causing the king to send him away.
34:1 I will praise the Lord at all times;
my mouth will continually praise him.
34:2 I will boast in the Lord;
let the oppressed hear and rejoice!
34:3 Magnify the Lord with me!
Let’s praise his name together!
34:4 I sought the Lord’s help and he answered me;
he delivered me from all my fears.
34:5 Those who look to him for help are happy;
their faces are not ashamed.
34:6 This oppressed man cried out and the Lord heard;
he saved him from all his troubles.
34:7 The Lord’s angel camps around
the Lord’s loyal followers and delivers them.
34:8 Taste and see that the Lord is good!
How blessed is the one who takes shelter in him!
34:9 Remain loyal to the Lord, you chosen people of his,
for his loyal followers lack nothing!
34:10 Even young lions sometimes lack food and are hungry,
but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.
34:11 Come children! Listen to me!
I will teach you what it means to fear the Lord.
34:12 Do you want to really live?
Would you love to live a long, happy life?
34:13 Then make sure you don’t speak evil words
or use deceptive speech!
34:14 Turn away from evil and do what is right!
Strive for peace and promote it!
34:15 The Lord pays attention to the godly
and hears their cry for help.
34:16 But the Lord opposes evildoers
and wipes out all memory of them from the earth.
34:17 The godly cry out and the Lord hears;
he saves them from all their troubles.
34:18 The Lord is near the brokenhearted;
he delivers those who are discouraged.
34:19 The godly face many dangers,
but the Lord saves them from each one of them.
34:20 He protects all his bones;
not one of them is broken.
34:21 Evil people self-destruct;
those who hate the godly are punished.
34:22 The Lord rescues his servants;
all who take shelter in him escape punishment.
By David.
35:1 O Lord, fight those who fight with me!
Attack those who attack me!
35:2 Grab your small shield and large shield,
and rise up to help me!
35:3 Use your spear and lance against those who chase me!
Assure me with these words: “I am your deliverer!”
35:4 May those who seek my life be embarrassed and humiliated!
May those who plan to harm me be turned back and ashamed!
35:5 May they be like wind-driven chaff,
as the Lord’s angel attacks them!
35:6 May their path be dark and slippery,
as the Lord’s angel chases them!
35:7 I did not harm them, but they hid a net to catch me
and dug a pit to trap me.
35:8 Let destruction take them by surprise!
Let the net they hid catch them!
Let them fall into destruction!
35:9 Then I will rejoice in the Lord
and be happy because of his deliverance.
35:10 With all my strength I will say,
“O Lord, who can compare to you?
You rescue the oppressed from those who try to overpower them;
the oppressed and needy from those who try to rob them.”
35:11 Violent men perjure themselves,
and falsely accuse me.
35:12 They repay me evil for the good I have done;
I am overwhelmed with sorrow.
35:13 When they were sick, I wore sackcloth,
and refrained from eating food.
(If I am lying, may my prayers go unanswered!)
35:14 I mourned for them as I would for a friend or my brother.
I bowed down in sorrow as if I were mourning for my mother.
35:15 But when I stumbled, they rejoiced and gathered together;
they gathered together to ambush me.
They tore at me without stopping to rest.
35:16 When I tripped, they taunted me relentlessly,
and tried to bite me.
35:17 O Lord, how long are you going to just stand there and watch this?
Rescue me from their destructive attacks;
guard my life from the young lions!
35:18 Then I will give you thanks in the great assembly;
I will praise you before a large crowd of people!
35:19 Do not let those who are my enemies for no reason gloat over me!
Do not let those who hate me without cause carry out their wicked schemes!
35:20 For they do not try to make peace with others,
but plan ways to deceive those who are unsuspecting.
35:21 They are ready to devour me;
they say, “Aha! Aha! We’ve got you!”
35:22 But you take notice, Lord!
O Lord, do not remain far away from me!
35:23 Rouse yourself, wake up and vindicate me!
My God and Lord, defend my just cause!
35:24 Vindicate me by your justice, O Lord my God!
Do not let them gloat over me!
35:25 Do not let them say to themselves, “Aha! We have what we wanted!”
Do not let them say, “We have devoured him!”
35:26 May those who want to harm me be totally embarrassed and ashamed!
May those who arrogantly taunt me be covered with shame and humiliation!
35:27 May those who desire my vindication shout for joy and rejoice!
May they continually say, “May the Lord be praised, for he wants his servant to be secure.”
35:28 Then I will tell others about your justice,
and praise you all day long.
For the music director; written by the Lord’s servant, David; an oracle.
36:1 An evil man is rebellious to the core.
He does not fear God,
36:2 for he is too proud
to recognize and give up his sin.
36:3 The words he speaks are sinful and deceitful;
he does not care about doing what is wise and right.
36:4 He plans ways to sin while he lies in bed;
he is committed to a sinful lifestyle;
he does not reject what is evil.
36:5 O Lord, your loyal love reaches to the sky;
your faithfulness to the clouds.
36:6 Your justice is like the highest mountains,
your fairness like the deepest sea;
you preserve mankind and the animal kingdom.
36:7 How precious is your loyal love, O God!
The human race finds shelter under your wings.
36:8 They are filled with food from your house,
and you allow them to drink from the river of your delicacies.
36:9 For you are the one who gives
and sustains life.
36:10 Extend your loyal love to your faithful followers,
and vindicate the morally upright!
36:11 Do not let arrogant men overtake me,
or let evil men make me homeless!
36:12 I can see the evildoers! They have fallen!
They have been knocked down and are unable to get up!