Psalms 7
1 A Shiggaion of David, which he sang to the Lord about Cush, the Benjamite. Lord my God, I take refuge in you. Deliver me, save me from all who pursue me;
Shiggaion of David; a song which he made to the Lord, about the words of Cush the Benjamite. O Lord my God, I put my faith in you; take me out of the hands of him who is cruel to me, and make me free;
2 or like lions they will tear me to pieces, and rend me, past hope of rescue.
So that he may not come rushing on my soul like a lion, wounding it, while there is no one to be my saviour.
3 Lord, my God, if my life has been such if my hands have been stained with guilt,
O Lord my God, if I have done this; if my hands have done any wrong;
4 if friends I paid back with evil, if I plundered my foes without cause,
If I have given back evil to him who did evil to me, or have taken anything from him who was against me without cause;
5 may the enemy chase and find me, trample my life to the ground, my honor leave in the dirt! (Selah)
Let my hater go after my soul and take it; let my life be crushed to the earth, and my honour into the dust. (Selah)
6 Arise, Lord, in anger, against my foes rise in fury. Awake for my help: let justice be done.
Come up, Lord, in your wrath; be lifted up against my haters; be awake, my God, give orders for the judging.
7 Gather the nations about you, and sit on your lofty throne,
The meeting of the nations will be round you; take your seat, then, over them, on high.
8 as the Lord, the judge of the peoples. Judge me, Lord, in my innocence and according to my integrity.
The Lord will be judge of the peoples; give a decision for me, O Lord, because of my righteousness, and let my virtue have its reward.
9 Put an end to the wrong of the wicked, protect the righteous. Searcher of hearts and minds, righteous God.
O let the evil of the evil-doer come to an end, but give strength to the upright: for men's minds and hearts are tested by the God of righteousness.
10 God is my shield: he saves the upright in heart.
God, who is the saviour of the upright in heart, is my breastplate.
11 God is a just judge, constant in righteous anger.
God is the judge of the upright, and is angry with the evil-doers every day.
12 He will sharpen his sword without fail, his bow is bent and ready,
If a man is not turned from his evil, he will make his sword sharp; his bow is bent and ready.
13 his deadly weapons are ready, his arrows he makes of flame.
He has made ready for him the instruments of death; he makes his arrows flames of fire.
14 The enemy who conceives evil; pregnant with mischief, giving birth to lies,
That man is a worker of evil; the seed of wrongdoing has given birth to deceit.
15 a pit they have made and dug; but into the hole that they made they will fall.
He has made a hole deep in the earth, and is falling into the hole which he has made
16 On their own heads their mischief comes back; on their own skulls their violence comes down.
His wrongdoing will come back to him, and his violent behaviour will come down on his head.
17 I will give thanks to the Lord for his justice, and sing to the name of the Lord Most High.
I will give praise to the Lord for his righteousness; I will make a song to the name of the Lord Most High.
