6-8 Stand up, God; pit your holy fury
    against my furious enemies.
Wake up, God. My accusers have packed
    the courtroom; it’s judgment time.
Take your place on the bench, reach for your gavel,
    throw out the false charges against me.
I’m ready, confident in your verdict:
    “Innocent.”

9-11 Close the book on Evil, God,
    but publish your mandate for us.
You get us ready for life:
    you probe for our soft spots,
    you knock off our rough edges.
And I’m feeling so fit, so safe:
    made right, kept right.
God in solemn honor does things right,
    but his nerves are sandpapered raw.

11-13 Nobody gets by with anything.
    God is already in action—
Sword honed on his whetstone,
    bow strung, arrow on the string,
Lethal weapons in hand,
    each arrow a flaming missile.

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Let the assembled peoples gather around you,
    while you sit enthroned over them on high.(A)
    Let the Lord judge(B) the peoples.
Vindicate me, Lord, according to my righteousness,(C)
    according to my integrity,(D) O Most High.(E)
Bring to an end the violence of the wicked
    and make the righteous secure—(F)
you, the righteous God(G)
    who probes minds and hearts.(H)

10 My shield[a](I) is God Most High,
    who saves the upright in heart.(J)
11 God is a righteous judge,(K)
    a God who displays his wrath(L) every day.

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 7:10 Or sovereign