Read Psalm 35 at Bible Gateway.
This psalm forms an intricate chiastic structure:
1a) Psa 35:1-3a, Plead my cause, O Lord; fight against my enemies for my help;
1b) Psa 35:3b-9, The Lord is my salvation when they devise my hurt without a cause:
1a) Psa 35:3b, Say unto my soul, I am Your salvation;
1b) Psa 35:4, Let them be put to shame that seek after my soul/ abashed that devise my hurt;
central axis) Psa 35:5-6, Let them be as chaff + their way dark/ Let the angel of the Lord chase + pursue them;
2b) Psa 35:7-8, Without cause they dug a pit for me/ Let destruction come upon him {n}, the same he planned;
2a) Psa 35:9, And my soul shall be joyful in the Lord: it shall rejoice in His salvation;
central axis) Psa 35:10a, All my bones shall say, Lord, who is like unto You; {n}
2b) Psa 35:10b-17, He delivers + rescues me from their destructions when they repay me evil for good unjustly:
1a) Psa 35:10b, Which delivers the poor + needy from him that is too strong + spoils him;
1b) Psa 35:11-12, False witnesses rose up/ laid to my charge that which I knew not/rewarded me evil for good;
1c) Psa 35:13a, But when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth: I humbled my soul with fasting; {n}
central axis) Psa 35:13b, And my prayer, may it return into my own bosom;
2c) Psa 35:14, I was as though he had been my friend/ I bowed down as one who mourns for his mother;
2b) Psa 35:15-16, In my adversity they rejoiced/gathered together: {n} against me/ I knew it not; {n} tore + gnashed upon me with their teeth;
2a) Psa 35:17, Lord, how long will You look on? {n}/ Rescue my soul from their destructions;
2a) Psa 35:18-28, I will paise You when You let my enemies be ashamed/ vindicate me in righteoousness:
1a) Psa 35:18, I will give You thanks in the great congregation: I will praise You among much people;
1b) Psa 35:19-25, Let not my enemies rejoice over me/ Judge my righteous cause, my God:
1a) Psa 35:19-21, Let not my enemies rejoice over me/ let them not say they have seen my harm;
1b) Psa 35:22, This You have seen, O Lord: keep not silence: O Lord, be not far from me;
1c) Psa 35:23a, Stir up Yourself, and awake to my judgment;
central axis) Psa 35:23b, Even unto my cause, my God and my Lord;
2c) Psa 35:24a, Judge me, O Lord my God;
2b) Psa 35:24b, According to Your righteousness;
2a) Psa 35:24c-25, And let them not rejoice over me/ Let them not say, We have swallowed him up;
2b) Psa 35:26-27, Let them be ashamed that rejoice at my hurt/ let them be glad that delight in my vindication:
1a) Psa 35:26a, Let them be ashamed + abashed that rejoice at my hurt {n}/ clothed with shame + dishonor;
1b) Psa 35:26b, That magnify themselves against me;
central axis) Psa 35:27a, Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that delight in my righteousness; {n}
2b) Psa 35:27b, Yes, let them say continually, Let the Lord be magnified;
2a) Psa 35:27c, Which has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant (rejoice at my prosperity);
2a) Psa 35:28, And my tongue shall speak of Your righteousness and of Your praise all the day long. {p}
I realized through the smaller chiastic structures embedded within the 2A pair, that just as much as the wicked devise evil against the righteous, and rejoice when evil they deceitfully plan befalls the righteous, the LORD devises good for the righteous, and delights in the prosperity of His servants. Jesus taught us that while we are in this world we will have tribulation, but He has overcome the world and its tribulation. If you are going through something today (and who isn’t), we can still praise God that He is working to bring about our vindication, and our final end will be blessing and not destruction! ♥
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