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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.

A Davidic psalm,[a] which he sang to the Lord, because of the words of Cush the descendant of Benjamin.

A Prayer for Vindication

Lord, my God,
    I seek refuge in you.
Deliver me from those who persecute me!
    Rescue me!
Otherwise, they will rip me to shreds like a lion,
    tearing me[b] apart with no one to rescue me.[c]

Lord, my God, if I have done this thing,
    if there is injustice on my hands,
if I have rewarded those who did me good with evil,
    if I have plundered my enemy without justification,
then, let my enemy pursue me,
    let him overtake me,
        and let him trample my life to the ground.
Interlude
Let him put my honor into the dust.

Get up, Lord, in your anger!
    Rise up, because of the fury of my enemies;
Arouse yourself for me;
    you have ordained justice.
Let the assembly of the peoples gather around you,
    and you will sit[d] high above them.
For the Lord will judge the peoples.
    Judge me according to my righteousness, Lord,
        and according to my integrity, Exalted One.

Let the evil of the wicked come to an end,
    but establish the righteous.
For you are the righteous God
    who discerns the inner thoughts.[e]
10 God is my shield,[f]
    the one who delivers the upright in heart.
11 God is a righteous judge,
    a God who is angry with sinners[g] every day.

12 If the ungodly one[h] doesn’t repent,
    God will sharpen his sword;
        he will string his bow and prepare it.
13 He prepares weapons of death for himself,
    he makes his arrows into fiery shafts.

14 But the wicked one[i] travails with evil,
    he conceives malice and gives birth to lies.
15 He digs a pit, even excavates it;
    then he fell into the hole that he had made.
16 The trouble[j] he planned will return on his own head,
    and his violence will descend on his skull.
17 But as for me,
    I will praise the Lord for his righteousness,
        and I will sing to the name of the Lord Most High.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 7:1 The Heb. reads Shiggaion
  2. Psalm 7:2 The Heb. lacks me
  3. Psalm 7:2 The Heb. lacks me
  4. Psalm 7:7 Lit. return
  5. Psalm 7:9 Lit. hearts and innards
  6. Psalm 7:10 Lit. My shield is on God
  7. Psalm 7:11 The Heb. lacks sinners
  8. Psalm 7:12 Lit. If he
  9. Psalm 7:14 Lit. But he
  10. Psalm 7:16 Lit. His trouble