Psalm 7

PRAYER FOR JUSTICE

A Shiggaion of David, which he sang to the Lord concerning the words of Cush, a Benjaminite.

1 Lord my God, I seek refuge in you;r

save me from all my pursuers and rescue me,s

2 or theyB will tear me like a lion,

ripping me apart with no one to rescue me.t

3 Lord my God, if I have done this,

if there is injustice on my hands,u

4 if I have done harm to one at peace with mev

or have plunderedC my adversary without cause,w

5 may an enemy pursue and overtake me;

may he trample me to the groundx

and leave my honor in the dust.y

Selah

6 Rise up, Lord, in your anger;

lift yourself up against the fury of my adversaries;z

awake for me;D,aa

you have ordained a judgment.ab

7 Let the assembly of peoples gather around you;ac

take your seat on high over it.ad

8 The Lord judges the peoples;ae

vindicate me, Lord,

according to my righteousness and my integrity.af

9 Let the evil of the wicked come to an end,ag

but establish the righteous.ah

The one who examines the thoughts and emotionsE

is a righteous God.ai

10 My shield is with God,aj

who saves the upright in heart.ak

11 God is a righteous judge

and a God who shows his wrath every day.al

12 If anyone does not repent,

he will sharpen his sword;am

he has strung his bow and made it ready.an

13 He has prepared his deadly weapons;

he tips his arrows with fire.ao

14 See, the wicked one is pregnant with evil,

conceives trouble, and gives birth to deceit.ap

15 He dug a pit and hollowed it out

but fell into the hole he had made.aq

16 His trouble comes back on his own head;

his own violence comes down on top of his head.ar

17 I will thank the Lord for his righteousness;

I will sing about the name of the Lord Most High.as