Friday, November 28, 2008

Psalm 35

Of David
Contend יְהוָה with my contenders
fight those fighting me
Strengthen shield and grappling hook and come to my help
and stretch out spear and shut up the call of my persecutors
Say to my life
I am your salvation

let them be ashamed and disgraced for seeking my life
let them be turned back and embarrassed
planning my hurt
let them be as chaff before the wind
and the angel of יְהוָה chasing
Let be their way dark and deceitful
and the angel of יְהוָה their persecutor

because for nothing they hid a pit for me
their net for nothing
they dig for my life
Let destruction come upon him unknown to him
and let his net which he hid catch him
in destruction he will fall

And my life joys in יְהוָה
it rejoices in his salvation
all my bones will say
יְהוָה who is like you
delivering the poor from the strong
even from him
the poor and needy from his ravager

Testimonies of violence rise up
unknown to me they inquire of me
they reward me evil for good
to bereave me of my life
but I in their illness make sackcloth my clothing
and I afflict my life with fasting
and my prayer to my embrace returned

I walked as friend, as my family
mourning as one lamenting a mother
I bowed down
but in my halting they were glad together
strangers unknown to me together against me
they did tear and were not silent
with polluted mocking from the feast
they grind their teeth on me

Lord how long will it take you to get it?
Turn my life from their ruins
from the lions my uniqueness
I will give you thanks in the great congregation
among a numerous people I will praise you

let not my enemies be falsely glad over me
those hating me for nothing
let them not eye me with a wink
for they do not speak peace
but against the quiet of the land
they plan words of deceit
and they gape their mouth against me
and they say
ha ha!
our eye gets it

you get it יְהוָה
do not keep silent O Lord
do not be far from me
rouse yourself and awaken
to my judgment my God
and my Lord to my dispute

Judge me according to your right יְהוָה my God
let them not be glad in me
let them not say in their heart
ha! our life
let them not say
we have swallowed him up

let them be ashamed and embarrassed together
rejoicing in my hurt
let them wear shame and dishonour
magnifying themselves against me

let those delighting in my righteousness shout for joy and be glad
and let them say continually יְהוָה be magnified
who delights in the peace of his servant
and my tongue will grandstand your righteousness
every day your praise

Note - 'get it' literally see / look on. There are a number of words around the protagonists and whose eye sees what. Abount the net and the hiding, as in Psalm 7, there is ambiguity in the pronouns - whose net? who gets caught in it? What would you do though with the incomprehensible snippet of Psalm 35:16?

with hypocrisy? mocking? from cake? to gnash on me their teeth
בְּחַנְפֵי לַעֲגֵי מָעֹוג חָרֹק עָלַישִׁנֵּֽימֹו

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