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A Davidic psalm,[a] which he sang to the Lord, because of the words of Cush the descendant of Benjamin.

A Prayer for Vindication

Lord, my God,
    I seek refuge in you.
Deliver me from those who persecute me!
    Rescue me!
Otherwise, they will rip me to shreds like a lion,
    tearing me[b] apart with no one to rescue me.[c]

Lord, my God, if I have done this thing,
    if there is injustice on my hands,
if I have rewarded those who did me good with evil,
    if I have plundered my enemy without justification,
then, let my enemy pursue me,
    let him overtake me,
        and let him trample my life to the ground.
Interlude
Let him put my honor into the dust.

Get up, Lord, in your anger!
    Rise up, because of the fury of my enemies;
Arouse yourself for me;
    you have ordained justice.
Let the assembly of the peoples gather around you,
    and you will sit[d] high above them.
For the Lord will judge the peoples.
    Judge me according to my righteousness, Lord,
        and according to my integrity, Exalted One.

Let the evil of the wicked come to an end,
    but establish the righteous.
For you are the righteous God
    who discerns the inner thoughts.[e]
10 God is my shield,[f]
    the one who delivers the upright in heart.
11 God is a righteous judge,
    a God who is angry with sinners[g] every day.

12 If the ungodly one[h] doesn’t repent,
    God will sharpen his sword;
        he will string his bow and prepare it.
13 He prepares weapons of death for himself,
    he makes his arrows into fiery shafts.

14 But the wicked one[i] travails with evil,
    he conceives malice and gives birth to lies.
15 He digs a pit, even excavates it;
    then he fell into the hole that he had made.
16 The trouble[j] he planned will return on his own head,
    and his violence will descend on his skull.
17 But as for me,
    I will praise the Lord for his righteousness,
        and I will sing to the name of the Lord Most High.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 7:1 The Heb. reads Shiggaion
  2. Psalm 7:2 The Heb. lacks me
  3. Psalm 7:2 The Heb. lacks me
  4. Psalm 7:7 Lit. return
  5. Psalm 7:9 Lit. hearts and innards
  6. Psalm 7:10 Lit. My shield is on God
  7. Psalm 7:11 The Heb. lacks sinners
  8. Psalm 7:12 Lit. If he
  9. Psalm 7:14 Lit. But he
  10. Psalm 7:16 Lit. His trouble

Psalm 7[a]

A shiggaion[b](A) of David, which he sang to the Lord concerning Cush, a Benjamite.

Lord my God, I take refuge(B) in you;
    save and deliver me(C) from all who pursue me,(D)
or they will tear me apart like a lion(E)
    and rip me to pieces with no one to rescue(F) me.

Lord my God, if I have done this
    and there is guilt on my hands(G)
if I have repaid my ally with evil
    or without cause(H) have robbed my foe—
then let my enemy pursue and overtake(I) me;
    let him trample my life to the ground(J)
    and make me sleep in the dust.[c](K)

Arise,(L) Lord, in your anger;
    rise up against the rage of my enemies.(M)
    Awake,(N) my God; decree justice.
Let the assembled peoples gather around you,
    while you sit enthroned over them on high.(O)
    Let the Lord judge(P) the peoples.
Vindicate me, Lord, according to my righteousness,(Q)
    according to my integrity,(R) O Most High.(S)
Bring to an end the violence of the wicked
    and make the righteous secure—(T)
you, the righteous God(U)
    who probes minds and hearts.(V)

10 My shield[d](W) is God Most High,
    who saves the upright in heart.(X)
11 God is a righteous judge,(Y)
    a God who displays his wrath(Z) every day.
12 If he does not relent,(AA)
    he[e] will sharpen his sword;(AB)
    he will bend and string his bow.(AC)
13 He has prepared his deadly weapons;
    he makes ready his flaming arrows.(AD)

14 Whoever is pregnant with evil
    conceives trouble and gives birth(AE) to disillusionment.
15 Whoever digs a hole and scoops it out
    falls into the pit(AF) they have made.(AG)
16 The trouble they cause recoils on them;
    their violence comes down on their own heads.

17 I will give thanks to the Lord because of his righteousness;(AH)
    I will sing the praises(AI) of the name of the Lord Most High.(AJ)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 7:1 In Hebrew texts 7:1-17 is numbered 7:2-18.
  2. Psalm 7:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
  3. Psalm 7:5 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.
  4. Psalm 7:10 Or sovereign
  5. Psalm 7:12 Or If anyone does not repent, / God

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

(Shiggayon of Dovid, which he sang unto Hashem, regarding Kush of Binyamin) Hashem Elohai, in Thee do I seek refuge; hoshieini (save me) from all them that persecute me, and deliver me;

(3) Lest he tear my nefesh like a lion, rending it in pieces, while there is none to rescue.

(4) Hashem Elohai, if I have done this; if there be guilt in my hands;

(5) If I have recompensed with evil him that held out shalom unto me; or, without cause plundered my opposers,

(6) Then let the enemy persecute my nefesh, and take it; yea, let him tread down my life to the earth, and lay mine kavod to sleep in the dust. Selah.

(7) Arise, Hashem, in Thine anger, lift up Thyself because of the rage of mine enemies; awake, o my El, to the mishpat Thou hast decreed.

(8) So let the Adat l’Umim surround Thee; and over it return Thou on high [to judge].

(9) Hashem shall judge the people; judge me, Hashem, according to my tzedek, and according to mine integrity that is in me.

(10) Oh let the wickedness of the resha’im come to an end; but make the tzaddik secure; for the Elohim Tzaddik trieth the minds and hearts.

10 (11) My mogen (shield) is Elohim, Moshi’a of the upright in heart.

11 (12) Elohim is a Shofet Tzaddik, and El expresses wrath kol yom.

12 (13) If He relent not, He will sharpen His cherev; He hath bent His keshet (bow) and made it ready.

13 (14) He hath also prepared for Him the instruments of mavet; He ordaineth His flaming khitzim (arrows).

14 (15) Hinei, he [an evil person] travaileth with iniquity, and hath conceived trouble, and brought forth falsehood.

15 (16) He makes a pit, and digs it, and is fallen into the shachat (pit) which he made.

16 (17) His trouble shall return upon his own rosh, and his chamas shall come down upon his own kodkod (crown of the head).

17 (18) I will give thanks to Hashem according to His tzedek; and will sing praise to the Shem of Hashem Elyon.