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A meditation by David, which he sang to Yahweh, concerning the words of Cush, the Benjamite.

Yahweh, my God, I take refuge in you.
    Save me from all those who pursue me, and deliver me,
lest they tear apart my soul like a lion,
    ripping it in pieces, while there is no one to deliver.
Yahweh, my God, if I have done this,
    if there is iniquity in my hands,
if I have rewarded evil to him who was at peace with me
    (yes, I have delivered him who without cause was my adversary),
    let the enemy pursue my soul, and overtake it;
yes, let him tread my life down to the earth,
    and lay my glory in the dust. Selah.
Arise, Yahweh, in your anger.
    Lift up yourself against the rage of my adversaries.
Awake for me. You have commanded judgment.
    Let the congregation of the peoples surround you.
    Rule over them on high.
Yahweh administers judgment to the peoples.
    Judge me, Yahweh, according to my righteousness,
    and to my integrity that is in me.
Oh let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end,
    but establish the righteous;
    their minds and hearts are searched by the righteous God.
10 My shield is with God,
    who saves the upright in heart.
11 God is a righteous judge,
    yes, a God who has indignation every day.
12 If a man doesn’t repent, he will sharpen his sword;
    he has bent and strung his bow.
13 He has also prepared for himself the instruments of death.
    He makes ready his flaming arrows.
14 Behold,[a] he travails with iniquity.
    Yes, he has conceived mischief,
    and brought out falsehood.
15 He has dug a hole,
    and has fallen into the pit which he made.
16 The trouble he causes shall return to his own head.
    His violence shall come down on the crown of his own head.
17 I will give thanks to Yahweh according to his righteousness,
    and will sing praise to the name of Yahweh Most High.

Footnotes

  1. 7:14 “Behold”, from “הִנֵּה”, means look at, take notice, observe, see, or gaze at. It is often used as an interjection.

In You Do I Take Refuge

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

O Lord my God, in you do I (B)take refuge;
    (C)save me from all my pursuers and deliver me,
lest like (D)a lion they tear my soul apart,
    rending it in pieces, with (E)none to deliver.

O Lord my God, (F)if I have done this,
    if there is (G)wrong in my hands,
if I have repaid (H)my friend[b] with evil
    or (I)plundered my enemy without cause,
let the enemy pursue my soul and overtake it,
    and let him (J)trample my life to the ground
    and lay my glory in the dust. Selah

(K)Arise, O Lord, in your anger;
    (L)lift yourself up against the fury of my enemies;
    (M)awake for me; you have appointed a judgment.
Let the assembly of the peoples be gathered about you;
    over it return on high.

The Lord (N)judges the peoples;
    (O)judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness
    and according to the integrity that is in me.
Oh, let the evil of the wicked come to an end,
    and may you establish the righteous—
you who (P)test (Q)the minds and hearts,[c]
    O righteous God!
10 My shield is (R)with God,
    who saves (S)the upright in heart.
11 God is (T)a righteous judge,
    and a God who feels (U)indignation every day.

12 If a man[d] does not repent, God[e] will (V)whet his sword;
    he has (W)bent and (X)readied his bow;
13 he has prepared for him his deadly weapons,
    making his (Y)arrows (Z)fiery shafts.
14 Behold, the wicked man (AA)conceives evil
    and is (AB)pregnant with mischief
    and gives birth to lies.
15 He makes (AC)a pit, digging it out,
    and falls into the hole that he has made.
16 His (AD)mischief returns upon his own head,
    and on his own skull his violence descends.

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

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 7:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term
  2. Psalm 7:4 Hebrew the one at peace with me
  3. Psalm 7:9 Hebrew the hearts and kidneys
  4. Psalm 7:12 Hebrew he
  5. Psalm 7:12 Hebrew he