Prayer and Praise for Deliverance from Enemies

A (A)Meditation[a] of David, which he sang to the Lord (B)concerning the words of Cush, a Benjamite.

O Lord my God, in You I put my trust;
(C)Save me from all those who persecute me;
And deliver me,
(D)Lest they tear me like a lion,
(E)Rending me in pieces, while there is none to deliver.

O Lord my God, (F)if I have done this:
If there is (G)iniquity in my hands,
If I have repaid evil to him who was at peace with me,
Or (H)have plundered my enemy without cause,
Let the enemy pursue me and overtake me;
Yes, let him trample my life to the earth,
And lay my honor in the dust. Selah

Arise, O Lord, in Your anger;
(I)Lift Yourself up because of the rage of my enemies;
(J)Rise up [b]for me to the judgment You have commanded!
So the congregation of the peoples shall surround You;
For their sakes, therefore, return on high.
The Lord shall judge the peoples;
(K)Judge me, O Lord, (L)according to my righteousness,
And according to my integrity within me.

Oh, let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end,
But establish the just;
(M)For the righteous God tests the hearts and [c]minds.
10 [d]My defense is of God,
Who saves the (N)upright in heart.

11 God is a just judge,
And God is angry with the wicked every day.
12 If he does not turn back,
He will (O)sharpen His sword;
He bends His bow and makes it ready.
13 He also prepares for Himself instruments of death;
He makes His arrows into fiery shafts.

14 (P)Behold, the wicked brings forth iniquity;
Yes, he conceives trouble and brings forth falsehood.
15 He made a pit and dug it out,
(Q)And has fallen into the ditch which he made.
16 (R)His trouble shall return upon his own head,
And his violent dealing shall come down on [e]his own crown.

17 I will praise the Lord according to His righteousness,
And will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 7:1 Heb. Shiggaion
  2. Psalm 7:6 So with MT, Tg., Vg.; LXX O Lord my God
  3. Psalm 7:9 Lit. kidneys, the most secret part of man
  4. Psalm 7:10 Lit. My shield is upon God
  5. Psalm 7:16 The crown of his own head

Psalm 7

Plea for Help against Persecutors

A Shiggaion of David, which he sang to the Lord concerning Cush, a Benjaminite.

O Lord my God, in you I take refuge;
    save me from all my pursuers, and deliver me,(A)
or like a lion they will tear me apart;
    they will drag me away, with no one to rescue.(B)

O Lord my God, if I have done this,
    if there is wrong in my hands,(C)
if I have repaid my ally with harm
    or plundered my foe without cause,(D)
then let the enemy pursue and overtake me,
    trample my life to the ground,
    and lay my soul in the dust. Selah

Rise up, O Lord, in your anger;
    lift yourself up against the fury of my enemies;
    awake, O my God;[a] you have appointed a judgment.(E)
Let the assembly of the peoples be gathered around you,
    and over it take your seat[b] on high.(F)
The Lord judges the peoples;
    judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness
    and according to the integrity that is in me.(G)

O let the evil of the wicked come to an end,
    but establish the righteous,
you who test the minds and hearts,
    O righteous God.(H)
10 God is my shield,
    who saves the upright in heart.(I)
11 God is a righteous judge
    and a God who has indignation every day.(J)

12 If one does not repent, God[c] will whet his sword;
    he has bent and strung his bow;(K)
13 he has prepared his deadly weapons,
    making his arrows fiery shafts.(L)
14 See how they conceive evil
    and are pregnant with mischief
    and bring forth lies.(M)
15 They make a pit, digging it out,
    and fall into the hole that they have made.(N)
16 Their mischief returns upon their own heads,
    and on their own heads their violence descends.(O)

17 I will give to the Lord the thanks due to his righteousness
    and sing praise to the name of the Lord, the Most High.(P)

Footnotes

  1. 7.6 Or awake for me
  2. 7.7 Cn: Heb return
  3. 7.12 Heb he