Psalm 7

1  O LORD my God, in You I take refuge and put my trust; save me from all those who pursue and persecute me, and deliver me,2  Lest my foe tear my life [from my body] like a lion, dragging me away while there is none to deliver.3  O Lord my God, if I have done this, if there is wrong in my hands,4  If I have paid back with evil him who was at peace with me or without cause have robbed him who was my enemy,5  Let the enemy pursue my life and take it; yes, let him trample my life to the ground and lay my honor in the dust. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!6  Arise, O Lord, in Your anger; lift up Yourself against the rage of my enemies; and awake [and stir up] for me the justice and vindication [that] You have commanded.7  Let the assembly of the peoples be gathered about You, and return on high over them.8  The Lord judges the people; judge me, O Lord, and do me justice according to my righteousness [my rightness, justice, and right standing with You] and according to the integrity that is in me.9  Oh, let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end, but establish the [uncompromisingly] righteous [those upright and in harmony with You]; for You, Who try the hearts and emotions and thinking powers, are a righteous God. 10  My defense and shield depend on God, Who saves the upright in heart.11  God is a righteous Judge, yes, a God Who is indignant every day.12  If a man does not turn and repent, [God] will whet His sword; He has strung and bent His [huge] bow and made it ready [by treading it with His foot].13  He has also prepared for him deadly weapons; He makes His arrows fiery shafts.14  Behold, [the wicked man] conceives iniquity and is pregnant with mischief and gives birth to lies.15  He made a pit and hollowed it out and has fallen into the hole which he made [before the trap was completed].16  His mischief shall fall back in return upon his own head, and his violence come down [with the loose dirt] upon his own scalp.17  I will give to the Lord the thanks due to His rightness and justice, and I will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High.

Psalm 7

A musical composition by David, which he sang to the Lord concerning3 a Benjaminite named Cush.4

1 O Lord my God, in you I have taken shelter.
Deliver me from all who chase me! Rescue me!

2 Otherwise they will rip me to shreds like a lion;
they will tear me to bits and no one will be able to rescue me.

3 O Lord my God, if I have done what they say,
or am guilty of unjust actions,

4 or have wronged my ally,
or helped his lawless enemy,

5 may an enemy relentlessly chase me and catch me;
may he trample me to death
and leave me lying dishonored in the dust. (Selah)

6 Stand up angrily,Lord!
Rise up with raging fury against my enemies!
Wake up for my sake and execute the judgment you have decreed for them!

7 The countries are assembled all around you;
take once more your rightful place over them!

8 The Lord judges the nations.
Vindicate me, Lord, because I am innocent,
because I am blameless, O Exalted One!

9 May the evil deeds of the wicked come to an end!
But make the innocent secure,
O righteous God,
you who examine inner thoughts and motives!

10 The Exalted God is my shield,
the one who delivers the morally upright.

11 God is a just judge;
he is angry throughout the day.

12 If a person does not repent, God sharpens his sword
and prepares to shoot his bow.

13 He prepares to use deadly weapons against him;
he gets ready to shoot flaming arrows.

14 See the one who is pregnant with wickedness,
who conceives destructive plans,
and gives birth to harmful lies –

15 he digs a pit
and then falls into the hole he has made.

16 He becomes the victim of his own destructive plans
and the violence he intended for others falls on his own head.

17 I will thank the Lord for his justice;
I will sing praises to the sovereign Lord!