Psalm 7:1-17
A dirge* of David that he sang to Jehovah concerning the words of Cush the Benʹja·min·ite.*
7 O Jehovah my God,+ in you I have taken refuge.+Save me from all those persecuting me and deliver me,+
2 That no one may tear my soul* to pieces as a lion does,+Snatching [me] away when there is no deliverer.+
3 O Jehovah my God, if I have done this,+If there exists any injustice in my hands,+
4 If I have repaid the one rewarding me with what is bad,+Or [if] I have despoiled anyone showing hostility to me without success,+
5 Let an enemy pursue my soul+And let him overtake and trample my life down to the very earthAnd cause my own glory to reside in the dust itself. Seʹlah.
6 Do arise, O Jehovah, in your anger;+Lift yourself up at the outbursts of fury of those showing hostility to me,+And do awake for me,*+ [since] you have given command for judgment itself.+
7 And let the very assembly of national groups* surround you,And against it do you return on high.
8 Jehovah himself will pass sentence on the peoples.+Judge me, O Jehovah, according to my righteousness+And according to my integrity+ in me.
9 Please, may the badness of wicked ones come to an end,+And may you establish the righteous one;+And God as righteous*+ is testing out heart+ and kidneys.*+
10 The shield for me is upon God,+ a Savior of those upright in heart.+
11 God* is a righteous Judge,+And God* is hurling denunciations* every day.
12 If anyone will not return,+ His sword he will sharpen,+His bow he will certainly bend,* and he will make it ready [for shooting].+
13 And for himself he must prepare the instruments of death;+His arrows he will make flaming ones.+
14 Look! There is one that is pregnant with what is hurtful,+And he has conceived trouble and is bound to give birth to falsehood.+
15 A pit he has excavated, and he proceeded to dig it;+But he will fall into the hole [that] he went making.+
16 His trouble will return upon his own head,+And upon the crown of his head his own violence will descend.+
17 I shall laud Jehovah according to his righteousness,+And I will make melody to the name+ of Jehovah the Most High.+
Footnotes
^ Lit., “Cush the son of Jemini.”
^ “A dirge.” Heb., shig·ga·yohnʹ. The meaning is uncertain but may denote a highly emotional song with rapid changes of rhythm. If derived from the verb sha·ʼaghʹ, shig·ga·yohnʹ may mean a roaring cry from joy or danger. In Hab 3:1 it is pl. LXXVg, “A psalm.”
^ “My soul.” Heb., naph·shiʹ; Gr., psy·khenʹ; Lat., aʹni·mam. See App 4A.
^ “For me,” M; LXXVg, “O Jehovah my God.”
^ “National groups.” Heb., leʼum·mimʹ. Possibly this should read ʼelo·himʹ, making the phrase read, “let the very assembly of gods.” Compare 82:1.
^ Or, “and the deepest emotions.” Heb., u·khela·yohthʹ.
^ “God as righteous.” Heb., ʼElo·himʹ tsad·diqʹ. The title ʼElo·himʹ is pl., and the adjective tsad·diqʹ is sing.
^ “God.” Heb., ʼElo·himʹ, followed by a sing. adjective. See vs 9 ftn, “Righteous.”
^ “And God.” Heb., weʼElʹ.
^ Or, “God is denouncing.” LXXVg, “he is not getting angry.”
^ Lit., “tread,” often by firmly planting the foot against the middle of the bow.
