Psalms 35

35 ¹ My Papa, fight against dem wey dey fight against me; make war against dem wey dey make war against me.

² Take hold of di big shield and di small shield, and rise up come help me.

³ Draw di spear and di javelin against dem wey dey chase me; talk to my soul say, “Na me be your salvation.”

⁴ Make shame and disgrace catch dem wey dey find my life; make dem turn back and shame cover dem wey dey plan my wahala. ⁵ Make dem be like chaff wey wind dey blow, wit di messenger of our Papa dey drive dem go. ⁶ Make dem road be dark and slippery, wit di messenger of our Papa dey chase dem.

⁷ Because wey no reason dey, dem hide dem net for me; wey no reason dey, dem dig pit for my life. ⁸ Make destruction come on am wen e no expect am; make di net wey e hide catch am; make e fall inside dat very destruction.

⁹ Den my soul go rejoice for my Papa; e go dey glad for im salvation. ¹⁰ All my bones go talk say, “My Papa, who be like you, wey dey rescue di poor man from di one wey too strong pass am, di poor and needy from di one wey dey rob am?”

¹¹ Wicked witness dem rise up; dem dey question me about things wey I no know. ¹² Dem pay me evil for good; dem leave my soul empty. ¹³ But me, wen dem dey sick, I wear mourning cloth; I humble myself wit fasting, and my prayer keep dey return come my own heart. ^a a v13 “My prayer keep dey return come my own heart” no too clear wetin e mean; e fit mean say David prayers na from true heart but dem no answer am. ¹⁴ I waka around like person wey dey mourn im friend or im brother; I bend down for mourning, like person wey dey cry for im mama. ¹⁵ But wen I stumble, dem rejoice and gather together; attacker dem wey I no know gather against me, dey tear me without stop. ¹⁶ Like godless people wey dey mock for feast, dem grind dem teeth against me.

¹⁷ My Sovereign Papa, how long you go just dey look? Rescue my soul from dem wickedness, my only life from di lions. ¹⁸ I go thank you for di great assembly; among plenty crowd I go praise you. ¹⁹ No make my liar enemy dem laugh over me, and no make dem wey hate me wey no reason dey wink dem eye. ^b b v19 Jesus take dis line put for imself — dem wey hate am “wey no reason dey” — as di hate wey di world show am for di road wey lead to di cross (John 15:25). ²⁰ Because dem no dey talk peace, but against di quiet people of di land dem dey plan liar liar scheme. ²¹ Dem open dem mouth wide against me; dem talk say, “Aha! Aha! Our own eye don see am!”

²² You don see am, my Papa; no keep quiet. My Sovereign Papa, no dey far from me. ²³ Wake up and rise for my vindication, for my case, my Sovereign Papa! ²⁴ Vindicate me, my Papa, according to your correct-and-holy way, and no make dem laugh over me. ²⁵ No make dem talk for dem heart say, “Aha, na exactly wetin we want!” No make dem talk say, “We don swallow am finish.”

²⁶ Make shame and disgrace catch dem together wey dey rejoice for my trouble; make shame and disgrace cover dem wey dey lift demself over me. ²⁷ Make dem wey dey happy for my vindication shout for joy and dey glad; make dem always talk say, “Our Papa great well well, e dey take joy for di well-being of im servant!”

²⁸ Den my tongue go tell about your correct-and-holy way, about your praise di whole day.