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Plea for Help against Persecutors

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

O Lord my God, in thee do I take refuge;
    save me from all my pursuers, and deliver me,
lest like a lion they rend me,
    dragging me away, with none to rescue.

O Lord my God, if I have done this,
    if there is wrong in my hands,
if I have requited my friend with evil
    or plundered my enemy without cause,
let the enemy pursue me and overtake me,
    and let him trample my life to the ground,
    and lay my soul in the dust.Selah

Arise, O Lord, in thy anger,
    lift thyself up against the fury of my enemies;
    awake, O my God;[a] thou hast appointed a judgment.
Let the assembly of the peoples be gathered about thee;
    and over it take thy seat[b] on high.
The Lord judges the peoples;
    judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness
    and according to the integrity that is in me.

O let the evil of the wicked come to an end,
    but establish thou the righteous,
thou who triest the minds and hearts,
    thou righteous God.
10 My shield is with God,
    who saves the upright in heart.
11 God is a righteous judge,
    and a God who has indignation every day.

12 If a man[c] does not repent, God[d] will whet his sword;
    he has bent and strung his bow;
13 he has prepared his deadly weapons,
    making his arrows fiery shafts.
14 Behold, the wicked man conceives evil,
    and is pregnant with mischief,
    and brings forth lies.
15 He makes a pit, digging it out,
    and falls into the hole which he has made.
16 His mischief returns upon his own head,
    and on his own pate his violence descends.

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

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 7:6 Or for me
  2. Psalm 7:7 Cn: Heb return
  3. Psalm 7:12 Heb he
  4. Psalm 7:12 Heb he

Jehovah implored to defend the psalmist against the wicked.

Shiggaion of David, which he sang unto Jehovah, concerning the words of Cush a Benjamite.

O Jehovah my God, in thee do I take refuge:
Save me from all them that pursue me, and deliver me,
Lest they tear my soul like a lion,
Rending it in pieces, while there is none to deliver.
O Jehovah my God, if I have done this;
If there be iniquity in my hands;
If I have rewarded evil unto him that was at peace with me
(Yea, I have delivered him that without cause was mine adversary;)
Let the enemy pursue my soul, and overtake it;
Yea, let him tread my life down to the earth,
And lay my glory in the dust. Selah
Arise, O Jehovah, in thine anger;
Lift up thyself against the rage of mine adversaries,
And awake for me; thou hast commanded judgment.
[a]And let the congregation of the peoples compass thee about;
And over them return thou on high.
Jehovah ministereth judgment to the peoples:
Judge me, O Jehovah, according to my righteousness, and to mine integrity [b]that is in me.
Oh let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end, but establish thou the righteous:
For the righteous God trieth the minds and [c]hearts.
10 My shield is with God,
Who saveth the upright in heart.
11 God is a righteous judge,
Yea, a God that hath indignation every day.
12 [d]If a man turn not, he will whet his sword;
He hath bent his bow, and made it ready;
13 He hath also prepared for him the instruments of death;
He maketh his arrows fiery shafts.
14 Behold, he travaileth with iniquity;
Yea, he hath conceived mischief, and brought forth falsehood.
15 He hath made a pit, and digged it,
And is fallen into the ditch which he made.
16 His mischief shall return upon his own head,
And his violence shall come down upon his own pate.
17 I will give thanks unto Jehovah according to his righteousness,
And will sing praise to the name of Jehovah Most High.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 7:7 Or, So shall
  2. Psalm 7:8 Or, be it unto me
  3. Psalm 7:9 Hebrew reins.
  4. Psalm 7:12 Or, Surely he will again whet