Psalms 35:23

THE MESSAGE

Please get up—wake up! Tend to my case. My God, my Lord—my life is on the line. Do what you think is right, God , my God, but don't make me pay for their good time. Don't let them say to themselves, "Ha-ha, we got what we wanted." Don't let them say, "We've chewed him up and spit him out." Let those who are being hilarious at my expense Be made to look ridiculous. Make them wear donkey's ears; Pin them with the donkey's tail, who made themselves so high and mighty!

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Wake up and rise to my defense,to my cause, my God and my Lord!

Hebrew Names Version
Wake up! Rise up to defend me, my God! My Lord, contend for me!

King James Version
Stir up thyself, and awake to my judgment, even unto my cause, my God and my Lord.

English Standard Version
Awake and rouse yourself for my vindication, for my cause, my God and my Lord!

New Century Version
Wake up! Come and defend me! My God and Lord, fight for me!

New English Translation
Rouse yourself, wake up and vindicate me! My God and Lord, defend my just cause!

Amplified Bible
Wake Yourself up, and arise to my right And to my cause, my God and my Lord.

New American Standard Bible
Stir Yourself, and awake to my right And to my cause, my God and my Lord.

World English Bible
Wake up! Rise up to defend me, my God! My Lord, contend for me!

Geneva Bible (1587)
Arise and wake to my iudgement, euen to my cause, my God, and my Lord.

Legacy Standard Bible
Stir up Yourself, and awake to my justiceAnd to my cause, my God and my Lord.

Berean Standard Bible
Awake and rise to my defense, to my cause, my God and my Lord!

Contemporary English Version
Fight to defend me, Lord God,

Complete Jewish Bible
Wake up! Get up, my God, my Lord! Defend me and my cause!

Darby Translation
Stir up thyself, and awake for my right, for my cause, my God and Lord!

Easy-to-Read Version
Wake up! Get up! My God and my Lord, fight for me, and bring me justice.

George Lamsa Translation
stir up thyself and awake to my judgment, see my suffering, my God and my LORD.

Good News Translation
Rouse yourself, O Lord, and defend me; rise up, my God, and plead my cause.

Lexham English Bible
Wake up and rouse yourself for my right, for my cause, O my God and my Lord.

Literal Translation
Stir Yourself and awaken to my judgment, to my cause, my God and my Lord.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Awake (LORDE) and stonde vp: auenge thou my cause, my God, and my LORDE.

American Standard Version
Stir up thyself, and awake to the justice due unto me, Even unto my cause, my God and my Lord.

Bible in Basic English
Be awake, O Lord, be moved to take up my cause, my God and my Lord.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
Rouse Thee, and awake to my judgment, even unto my cause, my God and my Lord.

King James Version (1611)
Stirre vp thy selfe and awake to my iudgement, euen vnto my cause, my God and my Lord.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Stirre thou and awake O my God and my Lorde: to iudge my cause and controuersie.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Awake, O Lord, and attend to my judgment, even to my cause, my God and my Lord.

English Revised Version
Stir up thyself, and awake to my judgment, even unto my cause, my God and my Lord.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Rise vp, and yyue tent to my doom; my God and my Lord, biholde in to my cause.

Update Bible Version
Stir up yourself, and awake to the justice [due] to me, [Even] to my cause, my God and my Lord.

Webster's Bible Translation
Stir up thyself, and awake to my judgment, [even] to my cause, my God and my Lord.

New King James Version
Stir up Yourself, and awake to my vindication, To my cause, my God and my Lord.

New Living Translation
Wake up! Rise to my defense! Take up my case, my God and my Lord.

New Life Bible
Awake Yourself. Come and help me. Fight for me, my God and my Lord.

New Revised Standard
Wake up! Bestir yourself for my defense, for my cause, my God and my Lord!

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Bestir thyself and wake up, to my vindication, O my God and My Lord! - to my plea:

Douay-Rheims Bible
(34-23) Arise, and be attentive to my judgment: to my cause, my God, and my Lord.

Revised Standard Version
Bestir thyself, and awake for my right, for my cause, my God and my Lord!

Young's Literal Translation
Stir up, and wake to my judgment, My God, and my Lord, to my plea.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Stir up Yourself, and awake to my right And to my cause, my God and my Lord.

Contextual Overview

¹⁷ God , how long are you going to stand there doing nothing? Save me from their brutalities; everything I've got is being thrown to the lions. I will give you full credit when everyone gathers for worship; When the people turn out in force I will say my Hallelujahs. ¹⁹Don't let these liars, my enemies, have a party at my expense, Those who hate me for no reason, winking and rolling their eyes. No good is going to come from that crowd; They spend all their time cooking up gossip against those who mind their own business. They open their mouths in ugly grins, Mocking, "Ha-ha, ha-ha, thought you'd get away with it? We've caught you hands down!" ²² Don't you see what they're doing, God ? You're not going to let them Get by with it, are you? Not going to walk off without doing something, are you? ²³Please get up—wake up! Tend to my case. My God, my Lord—my life is on the line. Do what you think is right, God , my God, but don't make me pay for their good time. Don't let them say to themselves, "Ha-ha, we got what we wanted." Don't let them say, "We've chewed him up and spit him out." Let those who are being hilarious at my expense Be made to look ridiculous. Make them wear donkey's ears; Pin them with the donkey's tail, who made themselves so high and mighty! ²⁷But those who want the best for me, Let them have the last word—a glad shout!— and say, over and over and over, " God is great—everything works together for good for his servant." I'll tell the world how great and good you are, I'll shout Hallelujah all day, every day.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Stir: Psalms 7:6, Psalms 44:23, Psalms 80:2, Isaiah 51:9

my God: Psalms 89:26, Psalms 142:5, John 20:28

Reciprocal: Genesis 16:5 - the Lord Psalms 3:7 - Arise Psalms 59:4 - awake Psalms 109:1 - Hold Isaiah 10:26 - stir up Lamentations 3:59 - judge

Cross-References

Genesis 35:2
Jacob told his family and all those who lived with him, "Throw out all the alien gods which you have, take a good bath and put on clean clothes, we're going to Bethel. I'm going to build an altar there to the God who answered me when I was in trouble and has stuck with me everywhere I've gone since."

Genesis 35:4
They turned over to Jacob all the alien gods they'd been holding on to, along with their lucky-charm earrings. Jacob buried them under the oak tree in Shechem. Then they set out. A paralyzing fear descended on all the surrounding villages so that they were unable to pursue the sons of Jacob.

Genesis 35:8
And that's when Rebekah's nurse, Deborah, died. She was buried just below Bethel under the oak tree. It was named Allon-Bacuth (Weeping-Oak).

Genesis 35:18
With her last breath, for she was now dying, she named him Ben-oni (Son-of-My-Pain), but his father named him Ben-jamin (Son-of-Good-Fortune).

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Stir up thyself and awake,.... Who seemed to be asleep in the apprehensions of the psalmist, and to take no notice of his distresses, and the insults of his enemies; see Psalms 44:23; he adds,

to my judgment, [even] to my cause; that is, to plead it and maintain it, and avenge him of his enemies, as in Psalms 35:1; making use of his covenant interest in him as a plea for it to engage him to do it, saying,

my God, and my Lord; see Psalms 22:1.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Stir up thyself - Arouse thyself as if from sleep. See Psalms 44:23.

And awake to my judgment - To execute judgment for me, or to render me justice. A similar petition (almost in the same words) occurs in Psalms 7:6. See the notes at that passage.

Even unto my cause - In my behalf; or, in the cause which so nearly pertains to me.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Psalms 35:23. Stir up thyself, and awake to my judgment — I have delivered my cause into thy hand, and appeal to thee as my Judge; and by thy decision I am most willing to abide.