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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”

Prayer and Praise for Deliverance from Enemies

A (A)Meditation[a] of David, which he sang to the Lord (B)concerning the words of Cush, a Benjamite.

O Lord my God, in You I put my trust;
(C)Save me from all those who persecute me;
And deliver me,
(D)Lest they tear me like a lion,
(E)Rending me in pieces, while there is none to deliver.

O Lord my God, (F)if I have done this:
If there is (G)iniquity in my hands,
If I have repaid evil to him who was at peace with me,
Or (H)have plundered my enemy without cause,
Let the enemy pursue me and overtake me;
Yes, let him trample my life to the earth,
And lay my honor in the dust. Selah

Arise, O Lord, in Your anger;
(I)Lift Yourself up because of the rage of my enemies;
(J)Rise up [b]for me to the judgment You have commanded!
So the congregation of the peoples shall surround You;
For their sakes, therefore, return on high.
The Lord shall judge the peoples;
(K)Judge me, O Lord, (L)according to my righteousness,
And according to my integrity within me.

Oh, let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end,
But establish the just;
(M)For the righteous God tests the hearts and [c]minds.
10 [d]My defense is of God,
Who saves the (N)upright in heart.

11 God is a just judge,
And God is angry with the wicked every day.
12 If he does not turn back,
He will (O)sharpen His sword;
He bends His bow and makes it ready.
13 He also prepares for Himself instruments of death;
He makes His arrows into fiery shafts.

14 (P)Behold, the wicked brings forth iniquity;
Yes, he conceives trouble and brings forth falsehood.
15 He made a pit and dug it out,
(Q)And has fallen into the ditch which he made.
16 (R)His trouble shall return upon his own head,
And his violent dealing shall come down on [e]his own crown.

17 I will praise the Lord according to His righteousness,
And will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 7:1 Heb. Shiggaion
  2. Psalm 7:6 So with MT, Tg., Vg.; LXX O Lord my God
  3. Psalm 7:9 Lit. kidneys, the most secret part of man
  4. Psalm 7:10 Lit. My shield is upon God
  5. Psalm 7:16 The crown of his own head