The Lord Implored to Defend the Psalmist against the Wicked.
A [a]Shiggaion of David, which he sang to the Lord [b]concerning Cush, a Benjamite.
7 O Lord my God, (A)in You I have taken refuge;
Save me from all those who pursue me, and (B)deliver me,
2 Or he will tear [c]my soul (C)like a lion,
[d]Dragging me away, while there is none to deliver.
3 O Lord my God, if I have done this,
If there is (D)injustice in my hands,
4 If I have (E)rewarded evil to [e]my friend,
Or have (F)plundered [f]him who without cause was my adversary,
5 Let the enemy pursue [g]my soul and overtake [h]it;
And let him trample my life down to the ground
And lay my glory in the dust. [i]Selah.
6 (G)Arise, O Lord, in Your anger;
(H)Lift up Yourself against (I)the rage of my adversaries,
And (J)arouse Yourself [j]for me; You have appointed judgment.
7 Let the assembly of the (K)peoples encompass You,
And over [k]them return on high.
8 The Lord (L)judges the peoples;
[l](M)Vindicate me, O Lord, according to my righteousness and my integrity that is in me.
9 O let (N)the evil of the wicked come to an end, but (O)establish the righteous;
For the righteous God (P)tries the hearts and [m]minds.
10 My (Q)shield is [n]with God,
Who (R)saves the upright in heart.
11 God is a (S)righteous judge,
And a God who has (T)indignation every day.
12 If [o]a man (U)does not repent, He will (V)sharpen His sword;
He has (W)bent His bow and [p]made it ready.
13 He has also prepared [q]for Himself deadly weapons;
He makes His (X)arrows fiery shafts.
14 Behold, he travails with wickedness,
And he (Y)conceives mischief and brings forth falsehood.
15 He has dug a pit and hollowed it out,
And has (Z)fallen into the hole which he made.
16 His (AA)mischief will return upon his own head,
And his (AB)violence will descend upon [r]his own pate.
17 I will give thanks to the Lord (AC)according to His righteousness
And will (AD)sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High.
Footnotes
- Psalm 7:1 I.e. Dithyrambic rhythm; or wild passionate song
- Psalm 7:1 Or concerning the words of
- Psalm 7:2 Or me
- Psalm 7:2 Or Rending it in pieces, while
- Psalm 7:4 Lit him who was at peace with me
- Psalm 7:4 Or my adversary without cause
- Psalm 7:5 Or me
- Psalm 7:5 Or me
- Psalm 7:5 Selah may mean: Pause, Crescendo or Musical interlude
- Psalm 7:6 One ancient version reads O my God
- Psalm 7:7 Lit it
- Psalm 7:8 Lit Judge
- Psalm 7:9 Lit kidneys, figurative for inner man
- Psalm 7:10 Lit upon
- Psalm 7:12 Lit he
- Psalm 7:12 Lit fixed it
- Psalm 7:13 Or His deadly weapons
- Psalm 7:16 I.e. the crown of his own head
Cross references
- Psalm 7:1 : Ps 31:1; 71:1
- Psalm 7:1 : Ps 31:15
- Psalm 7:2 : Ps 57:4; Is 38:13
- Psalm 7:3 : 1 Sam 24:11
- Psalm 7:4 : Ps 109:4, 5
- Psalm 7:4 : 1 Sam 24:7; 26:9
- Psalm 7:6 : Ps 3:7
- Psalm 7:6 : Ps 94:2
- Psalm 7:6 : Ps 138:7
- Psalm 7:6 : Ps 35:23; 44:23
- Psalm 7:7 : Ps 22:27
- Psalm 7:8 : Ps 96:13; 98:9
- Psalm 7:8 : Ps 18:20; 26:1; 35:24; 43:1
- Psalm 7:9 : Ps 34:21; 94:23
- Psalm 7:9 : Ps 37:23; 40:2
- Psalm 7:9 : Ps 11:4, 5; Jer 11:20; Rev 2:23
- Psalm 7:10 : Ps 18:2, 30
- Psalm 7:10 : Ps 97:10, 11; 125:4
- Psalm 7:11 : Ps 50:6
- Psalm 7:11 : Ps 90:9
- Psalm 7:12 : Ps 58:5
- Psalm 7:12 : Deut 32:41
- Psalm 7:12 : Ps 64:7
- Psalm 7:13 : Ps 18:14; 45:5
- Psalm 7:14 : Job 15:35; Is 59:4; James 1:15
- Psalm 7:15 : Job 4:8; Ps 57:6
- Psalm 7:16 : Esth 9:25; Ps 140:9
- Psalm 7:16 : Ps 140:11
- Psalm 7:17 : Ps 71:15, 16
- Psalm 7:17 : Ps 9:2; 66:1, 2, 4