Psalm 35 - Plead My Cause, O LORD
David's plea for God to defend him against enemies who repay good with evil.
Psalm 35 shifts from the praise of Psalms 34 into lament, picturing David asking the LORD to take up shield and spear and fight for him against enemies who dig pits for his soul without cause. He recalls mourning in sackcloth for friends who later turned against him, rewarding his kindness with false witness and mockery.
Unto the end, for the servant of God, David himself.
The unjust hath said within himself, that he would sin: there is no fear of God before his eyes.
For in his sight he hath done deceitfully, that his iniquity may be found unto hatred.
The words of his mouth are iniquity and guile: he would not understand that he might do well.
He hath devised iniquity on his bed, he hath set himself on every way that is not good: but evil he hath not hated.
O Lord, thy mercy is in heaven, and thy truth reacheth even to the clouds.
Thy justice is as the mountains of God, thy judgments are a great deep. Men and beasts thou wilt preserve, O Lord:
O how hast thou multiplied thy mercy, O God! But the children of men shall put their trust under the cover of thy wings.
They shall be inebriated with the plenty of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the torrent of thy pleasure.
For with thee is the fountain of life; and in thy light we shall see light.
Extend thy mercy to them that know thee, and thy justice to them that are right in heart.
Let not the foot of pride come to me, and let not the hand of the sinner move me.
There the workers of iniquity are fallen, they are cast out, and could not stand.