Psalm 7

A shiggaiona by David; he sang it to the Lord about the ⸤slanderous⸥ words of Cush, a descendant of Benjamin. 

1  O Lord my God, I have taken refuge in you. 

Save me, and rescue me from all who are pursuing me. 

2  Like a lion they will tear me to pieces 

and drag me off with no one to rescue me. 

3  O Lord my God, 

if I have done this— 

if my hands are stained with injustice, 

4  if I have paid back my friend with evil 

or rescued someone who has no reason to attack me— 

5  then let the enemy chase me and catch me. 

Let him trample my life into the ground. 

Let him lay my honor in the dust. 

Selah 

6  Arise in anger, O Lord. 

Stand up against the fury of my attackers. 

Wake up, my God.c

You have already pronounced judgment. 

7  Let an assembly of people gather around you. 

Take your seat high above them. 

8  The Lord judges the people of the world. 

Judge me, O Lord, 

according to my righteousness, 

according to my integrity. 

9  Let the evil within wicked people come to an end, 

but make the righteous person secure, 

O righteous God who examines thoughts and emotions. 

10  My shield is God above, 

who saves those whose motives are decent. 

11  God is a fair judge, 

a God who is angered by injustice every day. 

12  If a person does not change, God sharpens his sword. 

By bending his bow, he makes it ready ⸤to shoot⸥. 

13  He prepares his deadly weapons 

and turns them into flaming arrows. 

14  See how that person conceives evil, 

is pregnant with harm, 

and gives birth to lies. 

15  He digs a pit and shovels it out. 

Then he falls into the hole that he made ⸤for others⸥. 

16  His mischief lands back on his own head. 

His violence comes down on top of him. 

17  I will give thanks to the Lord for his righteousness. 

I will make music to praise the name of the Lord Most High.