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A Prayer for Fairness

A shiggaion [C a musical or literary term of uncertain meaning] of David which he sang to the Lord about Cush, from the tribe of Benjamin [C an unknown person, but the tribe of Benjamin, Saul’s tribe, resisted David’s kingship at first; 2 Sam. 3–4].

Lord my God, I ·trust in you for protection [find refuge in you].
    ·Save [Rescue; T Deliver] me and rescue me
    from those who are ·chasing [pursuing] me.
Otherwise, like a lion they will tear me apart.
    They will ·rip me to pieces [or drag me away], and no one can ·save [rescue; T deliver] me.

Lord my God, what have I done?
    Have my hands done something ·wrong [to make me guilty]?
Have I done wrong to ·my friend [L the one at peace with me]
    or stolen without reason from my enemy?
If I have, let my enemy ·chase [pursue] me and ·capture [overtake] me.
    Let him trample ·me [L my life] into the ·dust [earth]
and ·bury me [L lay my honor] in the ground. ·Selah [Interlude]

Lord, rise up in your anger;
    ·stand up [L lift yourself up] against my enemies’ ·anger [fury].
    ·Get up [Wake up], ·my God [or for me], and ·demand fairness [insist on/L command judgment].
Gather the ·nations [L assembly/congregations of the peoples] around you
    and ·rule [or take a seat over; L return] them from ·above [on high].
Lord, judge the people.
    Lord, ·defend [judge] me ·because I am right [according to my righteousness],
    ·because I have done no wrong [according to my innocence].
God, you ·do what is right [are righteous].
    You ·know [L test] our ·thoughts [L hearts/minds] and ·feelings [L kidneys; C the seat of emotions in Hebrew thought].
Stop those wicked actions done by evil people,
    and ·help [establish] those who ·do what is right [are righteous].

10 God ·protects me like a [is my] shield;
    he saves those whose hearts ·are right [have integrity].
11 God ·judges by what is right [is a righteous judge],
    and God is ·always ready to punish the wicked [L angry every day].
12 If they do not ·change their lives [repent],
    God will sharpen his sword;
    he will string his bow and take aim.
13 He has prepared his deadly weapons;
    he has made his flaming arrows.

14 There are people who ·think up [L conceive] evil
    and ·plan [L are pregnant with] ·trouble [malice] and ·tell [L give birth to] lies.
15 They dig a ·hole [pit] ·to trap others [L and dig it deep],
    but they will fall into it themselves.
16 ·They will get themselves into trouble [L Their trouble/malice will return to their head];
    the violence they cause will ·hurt only themselves [L come down on their heads; Prov. 26:27; Matt. 26:52].

17 I praise the Lord ·because he does what is right [according to his righteousness].
I sing praises to the Lord Most High.

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