The Lord Implored to Defend the Psalmist against the Wicked.

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

O Lord my God, (A)in You I have taken refuge;
Save me from all those who pursue me, and (B)rescue me,
Or he will tear [c]my soul (C)like a lion,
Dragging me away, while there is no one to rescue me.

O Lord my God, if I have done this,
If there is (D)injustice in my hands,
If I have (E)done evil to [d]my friend,
Or have (F)plundered [e]my enemy for no reason,
Let the enemy pursue [f]my soul and overtake [g]it;
And let him trample my life to the ground
And lay my glory in the dust. Selah

(G)Arise, Lord, in Your anger;
(H)Raise Yourself against (I)the rage of my enemies,
And (J)stir Yourself [h]for me; You have ordered judgment.
Let the assembly of the (K)peoples encompass You,
And return on high over it.
The Lord (L)judges the peoples;
[i](M)Vindicate me, Lord, according to my righteousness and my integrity that is in me.
Please let (N)the evil of the wicked come to an end, but (O)establish the righteous;
For the righteous God (P)puts hearts and [j]minds to the test.
10 My (Q)shield is [k]with God,
Who (R)saves the upright in heart.
11 God is a (S)righteous judge,
And a God who (T)shows indignation every day.

12 If one (U)does not repent, He will (V)sharpen His sword;
He has (W)bent His bow and taken aim.
13 He has also prepared deadly weapons for Himself;
He makes His (X)arrows fiery shafts.
14 Behold, an evil person is pregnant with injustice,
And he (Y)conceives harm and gives birth to lies.
15 He has dug a pit and hollowed it out,
And has (Z)fallen into the hole which he made.
16 His (AA)harm will return on his own head,
And his (AB)violence will descend on the top of his own head.

17 I will give thanks to the Lord (AC)according to His righteousness
And will (AD)sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 7 Title I.e., Dithyrambic rhythm; or wild, passionate song
  2. Psalm 7 Title Or concerning the words of
  3. Psalm 7:2 Or me
  4. Psalm 7:4 Lit him who was at peace with me
  5. Psalm 7:4 Or him who for no reason was my enemy,
  6. Psalm 7:5 Or me
  7. Psalm 7:5 Or me
  8. Psalm 7:6 One ancient version reads O my God
  9. Psalm 7:8 Lit Judge
  10. Psalm 7:9 Lit kidneys, figurative for inner man
  11. Psalm 7:10 Lit upon

`The Erring One,' by David, that he sung to Jehovah concerning the words of Cush a Benjamite. O Jehovah, my God, in Thee I have trusted, Save me from all my pursuers, and deliver me.

Lest he tear as a lion my soul, Rending, and there is no deliverer.

O Jehovah, my God, if I have done this, If there is iniquity in my hands,

If I have done my well-wisher evil, And draw mine adversary without cause,

An enemy pursueth my soul, and overtaketh, And treadeth down to the earth my life, And my honour placeth in the dust. Selah.

Rise, O Jehovah, in Thine anger, Be lifted up at the wrath of mine adversaries, And awake Thou for me: Judgment Thou hast commanded:

And a company of peoples compass Thee, And over it on high turn Thou back,

Jehovah doth judge the peoples; Judge me, O Jehovah, According to my righteousness, And according to mine integrity on me,

Let, I pray Thee be ended the evil of the wicked, And establish Thou the righteous, And a trier of hearts and reins is the righteous God.

10 My shield [is] on God, Saviour of the upright in heart!

11 God [is] a righteous judge, And He is not angry at all times.

12 If [one] turn not, His sword he sharpeneth, His bow he hath trodden -- He prepareth it,

13 Yea, for him He hath prepared Instruments of death, His arrows for burning pursuers He maketh.

14 Lo, he travaileth [with] iniquity, And he hath conceived perverseness, And hath brought forth falsehood.

15 A pit he hath prepared, and he diggeth it, And he falleth into a ditch he maketh.

16 Return doth his perverseness on his head, And on his crown his violence cometh down.

17 I thank Jehovah, According to His righteousness, And praise the name of Jehovah Most High!