Psalm 35 Prayer for the United States of America
Plead our cause, O Lord, with them that strive with us: fight against them that fight against us.
2 Take hold of shield and buckler, and stand up for our help.
3 Draw out also the spear, and stop the way against them that persecute us: say unto our soul, I am thy salvation.
4 Let them be confounded and put to shame that seek after our soul: let them be turned back and brought to confusion that devise our hurt.
5 Let them be as chaff before the wind: and let the angel of the Lord chase them.
6 Let their way be dark and slippery: and let the angel of the Lord persecute them.
7 For without cause have they hid for us their net in a pit, which without cause they have digged for our soul.
8 Let destruction come upon them at unawares; and let the net that they hath hid catch themselves: into that very destruction let them fall.
9 And our soul shall be joyful in the Lord: it shall rejoice in his salvation.
10 All our bones shall say, Lord, who is like unto thee, which deliverest the poor from them that are too strong for them, yea, the poor and the needy from them that spoileth them?
11 False witnesses did rise up; they laid to our charge things that we knew not.
12 They rewarded us evil for good to the spoiling of our soul.
13 But as for us, when they were sick, our clothing was sackcloth: we humbled our soul with fasting; and our prayer returned into our own bosom.
14 We behaved ourselves as though they had been our friend or brother: we bowed down heavily, as one that mourneth for his mother.
15 But in our adversity they rejoiced, and gathered themselves together: yea, the abjects gathered themselves together against us, and we knew it not; they did tear us, and ceased not:
16 With hypocritical mockers in feasts, they gnashed upon us with their teeth.
17 Lord, how long wilt thou look on? rescue our soul from their destructions, our darling from the lions.
18 We will give thee thanks in the great congregation: we will praise thee among much people.
19 Let not them that are our enemies wrongfully rejoice over us: neither let them wink with the eye that hate us without a cause.
20 For they speak not peace: but they devise deceitful matters against them that are quiet in the land.
21 Yea, they opened their mouth wide against us, and said, Aha, aha, our eye hath seen it.
22 This thou hast seen, O Lord: keep not silence: O Lord, be not far from us.
23 Stir up thyself, and awake to our judgment, even unto our cause, our God and our Lord.
24 Judge us, O Lord our God, according to thy righteousness; and let them not rejoice over us.
25 Let them not say in their hearts, Ah, so would we have it: let them not say, We have swallowed them up.
26 Let them be ashamed and brought to confusion together that rejoice at our hurt: let them be clothed with shame and dishonour that magnify themselves against us.
27 Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour our righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the Lord be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servants.
28 And our tongue shall speak of thy righteousness and of thy praise all the day long.
Plead our cause, O Lord, with them that strive with us: fight against them that fight against us.
2 Take hold of shield and buckler, and stand up for our help.
3 Draw out also the spear, and stop the way against them that persecute us: say unto our soul, I am thy salvation.
4 Let them be confounded and put to shame that seek after our soul: let them be turned back and brought to confusion that devise our hurt.
5 Let them be as chaff before the wind: and let the angel of the Lord chase them.
6 Let their way be dark and slippery: and let the angel of the Lord persecute them.
7 For without cause have they hid for us their net in a pit, which without cause they have digged for our soul.
8 Let destruction come upon them at unawares; and let the net that they hath hid catch themselves: into that very destruction let them fall.
9 And our soul shall be joyful in the Lord: it shall rejoice in his salvation.
10 All our bones shall say, Lord, who is like unto thee, which deliverest the poor from them that are too strong for them, yea, the poor and the needy from them that spoileth them?
11 False witnesses did rise up; they laid to our charge things that we knew not.
12 They rewarded us evil for good to the spoiling of our soul.
13 But as for us, when they were sick, our clothing was sackcloth: we humbled our soul with fasting; and our prayer returned into our own bosom.
14 We behaved ourselves as though they had been our friend or brother: we bowed down heavily, as one that mourneth for his mother.
15 But in our adversity they rejoiced, and gathered themselves together: yea, the abjects gathered themselves together against us, and we knew it not; they did tear us, and ceased not:
16 With hypocritical mockers in feasts, they gnashed upon us with their teeth.
17 Lord, how long wilt thou look on? rescue our soul from their destructions, our darling from the lions.
18 We will give thee thanks in the great congregation: we will praise thee among much people.
19 Let not them that are our enemies wrongfully rejoice over us: neither let them wink with the eye that hate us without a cause.
20 For they speak not peace: but they devise deceitful matters against them that are quiet in the land.
21 Yea, they opened their mouth wide against us, and said, Aha, aha, our eye hath seen it.
22 This thou hast seen, O Lord: keep not silence: O Lord, be not far from us.
23 Stir up thyself, and awake to our judgment, even unto our cause, our God and our Lord.
24 Judge us, O Lord our God, according to thy righteousness; and let them not rejoice over us.
25 Let them not say in their hearts, Ah, so would we have it: let them not say, We have swallowed them up.
26 Let them be ashamed and brought to confusion together that rejoice at our hurt: let them be clothed with shame and dishonour that magnify themselves against us.
27 Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour our righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the Lord be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servants.
28 And our tongue shall speak of thy righteousness and of thy praise all the day long.