The face of Jehovah is against evil doers,

To extirpate the memory of them from the earth.

The just cry, and Jehovah heareth them, [E]

And delivereth them out of all their straits.

Jehovah draweth near unto the broken-hearted, And the contrite in spirit he saveth.

• Innumerable are the afflictions of the JUST ONE, But Jehovah shall deliver him from them all.

He guardeth all his bones;

Not one of them is broken.

Evil shall-utterly-slay the impious;

And the haters of the JUST ONE shall-come-intocondemnation.

* This is the prophecy to which St John alludes.

PSALM XXXV.

A PRAYER OF THE MESSIAH *.

1 Contend thou, O Jehovah, with them that contend with me,

Make-war against them that make-war against me.

2 Grasp the shield also and target,

And rise-up for my defence.

3 Present the javelin and dirk [A] against my per

secutors,

Say unto my soul, "I am thy salvation."

4 Let them be brought-to-shame and-confusion that seek my life,

Let them be abashed that meditate my hurt.

* Verses 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16, apply more literally and exactly to Christ, than to any other whomsoever.

5 Let them be as the thistle-down before the wind, And let the angel of Jehovah chase them. [B]

6 Let their way be dark and slippery,
And let the angel of Jehovah pursue them.

7 For without a cause they spread for me their secret net, [C]

Without a cause they have digged a pit for my life.

8 Let the storm-of-destruction come upon him un

forseen,

Let the net, which he hath spread secretly, catch

himself;

Into his own pit let him fall. [D]

9 So shall my soul exult in Jehovah, It shall rejoice in his salvation.

11 Witnesses of violence [F] rise up,

For the thing which I know not they call me to

account.

12 They requite me evil for good,

[Even] the extermination* of me and my race. [G]

13 But for me, when they were sick, sackcloth was my clothing;

I mortified my soul with fasting;

Although my prayer returned into my bosom t.

14 I behaved myself like a friend or a brother, [H] In-sable-garb, as one in mourning for his mother, I was bowed down [with grief.]

15 But in my adversity they rejoiced, and were gathered together;

"Even the extermination, &c." This is expositive of the evil mentioned in the preceding hemistich. This is the evil, the extermination.

†They were incorrigible, therefore my prayer for them was ineffectual. Still I persevered to fast and pray, though discouraged by ill success.

Smiters [I] were gathered together against me, And they whom I knew not laid-on-heavy-blows [K], and rested not.

16 While-I was-[thus]-contumeliously-treated, They jeered me with their jeers, [L] gnashing their teeth at me.

17 O Lord, how long wilt thou look on? Restore my soul from their violence, My united one* from the lions.

18 I will give-thee-thanks in the great congregation, † Among a mighty people [M] I will praise thee.

19 Let not them, that without-provocation are my enemies, rejoice over me,

Nor them that hate me without a cause wink the

eye.

20 Truly they speak to me friendly-language,

*My united one," compare Ps. XXII, 20.
+ Or," in the numerous people."