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Psalm 7

A psalm[a] of David, which he sang to the Lord concerning Cush of the tribe of Benjamin.

I come to you for protection, O Lord my God.
    Save me from my persecutors—rescue me!
If you don’t, they will maul me like a lion,
    tearing me to pieces with no one to rescue me.
O Lord my God, if I have done wrong
    or am guilty of injustice,
if I have betrayed a friend
    or plundered my enemy without cause,
then let my enemies capture me.
    Let them trample me into the ground
    and drag my honor in the dust. Interlude

Arise, O Lord, in anger!
    Stand up against the fury of my enemies!
    Wake up, my God, and bring justice!
Gather the nations before you.
    Rule over them from on high.
    The Lord judges the nations.
Declare me righteous, O Lord,
    for I am innocent, O Most High!
End the evil of those who are wicked,
    and defend the righteous.
For you look deep within the mind and heart,
    O righteous God.

10 God is my shield,
    saving those whose hearts are true and right.
11 God is an honest judge.
    He is angry with the wicked every day.

12 If a person does not repent,
    God[b] will sharpen his sword;
    he will bend and string his bow.
13 He will prepare his deadly weapons
    and shoot his flaming arrows.

14 The wicked conceive evil;
    they are pregnant with trouble
    and give birth to lies.
15 They dig a deep pit to trap others,
    then fall into it themselves.
16 The trouble they make for others backfires on them.
    The violence they plan falls on their own heads.

17 I will thank the Lord because he is just;
    I will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High.

Footnotes

  1. 7:Title Hebrew A shiggaion, probably indicating a musical setting for the psalm.
  2. 7:12 Hebrew he.

Prayer for Deliverance from Enemies

A Shiggaion[a] of David which he sang to Yahweh

on account of Cush, a Benjaminite.[b]

O Yahweh, my God, in you I have taken refuge.
Save me from all who pursue me, and deliver me.
Or else he will tear me apart like a lion,
ripping to pieces, with none to deliver.
O Yahweh, my God, if I have done this,
if there is wrong in my hands,
if I have repaid my ally[c] with harm,
or if I have plundered my enemy without cause,
let the enemy of my soul pursue,
and overtake and trample my life into the ground,
and lay my honor in the dust. Selah
Rise up, O Yahweh, in your anger,
and lift yourself up against the wrath[d] of my oppressors,
and awake for me,
since you have commanded judgment.
And let the assembly of peoples surround you,
and over it return on high.
Yahweh judges the nations.
O Yahweh, vindicate me
according to my innocence[e] and according to my integrity within me.
Let the evil of the wicked come to an end,
but establish the righteous,
and test the hearts and innermost being, O righteous God.
10 My shield is with God
who saves the upright of heart.
11 God is a righteous judge,
and a God who has indignation every day.
12 If he[f] does not repent, he[g] will sharpen his sword.
He has bent his bow and he has strung[h] it.
13 And he has prepared for him weapons of death.
He has made his arrows fiery shafts.
14 See, he[i] travails with[j] evil.
He is pregnant with trouble,
and he gives birth to deception.
15 He makes a pit and digs it out,
then falls in the trap he has made.
16 His trouble comes back on his head,
and his violence comes down on his skull.
17 I will thank Yahweh according to his righteousness,
and I will sing praise to the name of Yahweh, the Most High.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 7:1 Meaning uncertain; perhaps a lamentation
  2. Psalm 7:1 The Hebrew Bible counts the superscription as the first verse of the psalm; the English verse number is reduced by one
  3. Psalm 7:4 Literally “one being at peace with me”
  4. Psalm 7:6 Or “outbursts”
  5. Psalm 7:8 Or “righteousness”
  6. Psalm 7:12 That is, a person
  7. Psalm 7:12 That is, God
  8. Psalm 7:12 Literally “prepared”
  9. Psalm 7:14 That is, the wicked
  10. Psalm 7:14 Or “conceives”