Psalms 7–17
Psalm 7:1-17
Psa.7.1 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- שגיון: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- לדוד: PREP+NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- אשר: PRON,rel
- שר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ליהוה: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,def
- על: PREP
- דברי: NOUN,m,pl,abs+PRON,1,c,sg
- כוש: NOUN,prop,sg,m
- בן: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ימיני: ADJ,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Habakkuk 3:1 (verbal): Uses the same rare musical/poetic term (shiggaion/shigionoth) in the superscription — a close verbal parallel in designation of the piece.
- Psalm 18:1 (superscription) (structural): Like Ps 7:1, the psalm is headed as a composition of David addressed to the LORD and tied to a concrete deliverance from enemies — a similar superscriptional structure.
- Psalm 3:1 (structural): Another Davidic superscription that links the psalm to a specific personal crisis ('when he fled from Absalom'), paralleling Ps 7:1’s situational note ('concerning Cush the Benjamite').
- Psalm 59:1 (thematic): A Davidic psalm tied to a hostile act by an enemy (Saul sending men to kill him); parallels Ps 7’s context of personal danger and appeal to God.
- Psalm 35:1 (thematic): David’s plea for God to contend with his adversaries echoes Ps 7’s theme of seeking divine vindication against personal enemies.
Alternative generated candidates
- A shiggaion of David, which he sang to the LORD concerning Cush, a Benjamite.
- To the choirmaster: a shiggaion of David, which he sang to the LORD concerning the words of Cush the Benjamite.
Psa.7.2 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- אלהי: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- בך: PREP+PRON,2,m,sg
- חסיתי: VERB,qal,perf,1,c,sg
- הושיעני: VERB,hiph,impv,2,m,sg
- מכל: PREP
- רדפי: NOUN,m,pl,cons
- והצילני: CONJ+VERB,hiphil,impv,2,c,sg+1cs
Parallels
- Psalm 31:1 (verbal): Shares the exact motif and wording of taking refuge in the LORD: 'In you, O LORD, do I take refuge' and petition for deliverance.
- Psalm 16:1 (verbal): Expresses the same trust in God as protector—'Preserve me, O God: for in thee do I put my trust'—parallel plea for safety.
- Psalm 11:1 (verbal): Opens with the identical claim of refuge in the LORD ('In the LORD I take refuge'), contrasting trust in God with advice to flee.
- Psalm 18:2 (thematic): Describes God as rock, fortress, and deliverer—theological parallel to seeking refuge and salvation from enemies.
- Psalm 143:9 (verbal): Directly petitions for deliverance from enemies and uses the imagery of fleeing to God for concealment: 'Deliver me, O LORD, from mine enemies: I flee unto thee to hide me.'
Alternative generated candidates
- O LORD my God, in you I take refuge; save me from all who pursue me, and deliver me.
- O LORD my God, in you I take refuge; save me from all who pursue me, and deliver me.
Psa.7.3 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- פן: CONJ
- יטרף: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- כאריה: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- נפשי: NOUN,f,sg,abs+1cs
- פרק: VERB,qal,impv,2,m,sg
- ואין: CONJ+PART,exist
- מציל: VERB,qal,part,3,m,sg
Parallels
- Psalm 22:21 (verbal): Prays for rescue 'from the mouth of the lion'—same image of being torn or devoured and the plea for deliverance.
- 1 Peter 5:8 (thematic): Uses a lion metaphor for a threatening adversary 'seeking someone to devour,' echoing the danger of being torn like a lion in Ps 7:3.
- Psalm 10:9 (verbal): Speaks of the wicked lying in wait 'like a lion in his lair,' similar predatory imagery of an imminent attack on the righteous.
- Psalm 57:4 (thematic): Declares the psalmist's soul 'among lions,' employing comparable lion imagery to depict peril from hostile enemies.
- 1 Samuel 17:34-36 (thematic): David recounts rescuing a lamb from a lion and bear—contrasts the threat of a lion tearing a victim with divine or human deliverance.
Alternative generated candidates
- Lest he tear my life like a lion—rip it—and there be no one to rescue.
- Lest he tear my soul like a lion—rip it open, while there is no one to deliver.
Psa.7.4 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- אלהי: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- אם: CONJ
- עשיתי: VERB,qal,perf,1,_,sg
- זאת: DEM,f,sg
- אם: CONJ
- יש: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- עול: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- בכפי: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs+PRON,1,?,sg
Parallels
- Psalm 26:1-2 (verbal): Like Ps 7:4, the speaker insists on personal integrity and invites God to examine and prove him—an appeal to divine judgment if he has done wrong.
- Job 31:5-6 (thematic): Job lists concrete vows of innocence and calls for God to weigh and judge him if he has walked in deceit—parallel posture of declaring innocence and inviting divine retribution if guilty.
- 1 Samuel 24:12 (thematic): David appeals to the LORD to judge between him and Saul and vindicate him, a structural parallel of asking God to determine guilt and punish if the petitioner is culpable.
- Psalm 17:3 (verbal): The psalmist asks God to test and examine his heart and reins (inner motives), echoing Ps 7:4’s concern with inward wrongdoing and reliance on divine scrutiny.
Alternative generated candidates
- O LORD my God, if I have done this, if there is wrong in my hands,
- O LORD my God, if I have done this, if there is injustice in my hands,
Psa.7.5 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- אם: CONJ
- גמלתי: VERB,qal,perf,1,c,sg
- שולמי: NOUN,m,sg,abs,pr1s
- רע: ADJ,m,sg,abs
- ואחלצה: VERB,qal,perf,1,c,sg
- צוררי: NOUN,m,pl,suff-1cs
- ריקם: ADV
Parallels
- Job 31:29-30 (structural): Like Ps 7:5, Job uses a series of conditional 'if I have...' oaths asserting innocence (e.g. not rejoicing at an enemy's ruin), structurally parallel declarations of integrity followed by implied consequences if false.
- Psalm 35:12 (verbal): Psalm 35:12 speaks of being 'rewarded evil for good'—language close to Ps 7:5's concern with repaying or being repaid evil for one who was at peace, echoing the idea of wrongful retaliation.
- 1 Samuel 24:11 (thematic): David's protestation of innocence before Saul ('I have not wronged him') mirrors the theme of Ps 7:5: asserting one has not repaid a friend with evil or attacked an adversary without cause and invoking divine judgment if otherwise.
- Romans 12:17 (thematic): Paul's admonition 'repay no one evil for evil' stands as a thematic counterpoint to Ps 7:5's conditional oath—both address the ethics of returning evil for harm and the speaker's claim of not having done so.
- Psalm 26:1 (thematic): Psalm 26 opens with a claim of integrity and a plea for God to judge accordingly, paralleling Ps 7:5's use of a conditional oath to assert innocence and call for divine vindication if the claim is false.
Alternative generated candidates
- if I have repaid him who was at peace with me with evil, or robbed my adversary without cause,
- if I have repaid him who was at peace with me with evil, or plundered my foe without cause,
Psa.7.6 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- ירדף: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- אויב: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- נפשי: NOUN,f,sg,abs+1cs
- וישג: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- וירמס: CONJ+VERB,piel,impf,3,m,sg
- לארץ: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- חיי: NOUN,m,pl,cons
- וכבודי: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs,1,sg
- לעפר: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ישכן: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- סלה: MISC
Parallels
- Psalm 22:6-8 (thematic): Both passages portray utter humiliation and scorn before enemies — the speaker is mocked, abased and exposed to violent mistreatment (imagery of being trampled/treated like refuse).
- Psalm 31:13-14 (verbal): Echoes the theme and language of being treated as dead or forgotten—'I am forgotten as a dead man'/'like those long dead,' linking persecution with deathlike abandonment.
- Psalm 88:3-6 (thematic): Shared imagery of overwhelming distress and being counted among the dead—darkness, Sheol-like association, and exclusion from life and light mirror Psalm 7:6's 'dwell in darkness' motif.
- Psalm 44:22-23 (thematic): Expresses persistent persecution and being handed over to harm ('we are killed all the day long'), paralleling Psalm 7:6's depiction of the enemy pursuing, seizing, and trampling the psalmist's life.
- Job 10:21-22 (allusion): Job's description of going to 'the land of darkness and deep shadow' resonates with Psalm 7:6's image of being made to dwell in darkness 'like those long dead,' linking suffering with the realm of death.
Alternative generated candidates
- let an enemy pursue my soul, overtake it, and trample my life to the earth; let my honor be lodged in the dust. Selah.
- let an enemy pursue my soul and overtake it; let him trample my life to the ground and lay my honor in the dust. Selah.
Psa.7.7 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- קומה: VERB,qal,impv,2,m,sg
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- באפך: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs,2ms
- הנשא: VERB,qal,ptc,3,m,sg,def
- בעברות: PREP+NOUN,f,pl,abs
- צוררי: NOUN,m,pl,suff-1cs
- ועורה: CONJ+VERB,qal,impv,2,m,sg
- אלי: PREP+PRON,1,sg
- משפט: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- צוית: VERB,qal,perf,2,m,sg
Parallels
- Psalm 35:1 (thematic): A plea for the LORD to contend with and fight against the psalmist's enemies—same petition for God to rise up on the psalmist's behalf.
- Psalm 94:1-2 (thematic): Calls on God—who alone takes vengeance—to arise as judge; closely parallels the demand that God rise in anger and execute justice on enemies.
- Psalm 10:12 (verbal): Begins with 'Arise, O LORD; O God, lift up your hand'—shares the verbal summons for God to act on behalf of the afflicted against hostile adversaries.
- Psalm 9:19 (verbal): 'Arise, O LORD; let not man prevail'—another direct invocation for God to rise against those who would overcome the righteous, echoing the imperative and theme of divine intervention.
Alternative generated candidates
- Arise, O LORD, in your anger; lift yourself up because of the rage of my foes; awake for me; you have decreed judgment.
- Arise, O LORD, in your anger; lift yourself up because of the rage of my foes; awake for me; you have commanded judgment.
Psa.7.8 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- ועדת: CONJ+NOUN,f,sg,cons
- לאמים: PREP+NOUN,m,pl,abs
- תסובבך: VERB,qal,impf,3,f,sg
- ועליה: CONJ+PREP+PRON,3,m,sg
- למרום: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- שובה: VERB,qal,imp,2,f,sg
Parallels
- Psalm 2:1 (thematic): Both depict the nations assembling or raging together against God or his chosen, highlighting hostile coalition of peoples.
- Psalm 22:12-13 (verbal): Uses imagery of being surrounded by hostile forces (‘compassed me’/‘beset me round’), echoing the motif of an assembly encircling the speaker.
- Joel 3:2 (thematic): Speaks of God gathering the nations for judgment in a valley of decision—parallels the theme of nations assembling and the consequent divine response.
- Zechariah 14:2 (structural): Foretells all nations being gathered against Jerusalem to fight and besiege it, similar structural motif of nations encircling a target and invoking divine intervention.
Alternative generated candidates
- Let the assembly of the peoples surround you; and over them return to the heights.
- May the assembly of the peoples encompass you; and over them return on high.
Psa.7.9 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- ידין: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- עמים: NOUN,pl,m,abs
- שפטני: VERB,qal,impv,2,m,sg
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- כצדקי: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs,poss:1,sg
- וכתמי: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs,poss:1,sg
- עלי: PREP+PRON,1,sg
Parallels
- Ps.18:24-25 (verbal): Uses almost identical language: God rewards/judges 'according to my righteousness' and 'according to my cleanness,' paralleling the petition to be judged according to righteousness and integrity.
- Ps.26:1 (verbal): Directly parallels the plea 'Judge me, O LORD' on the basis of the psalmist's integrity—same petition and emphasis on personal uprightness.
- Jer.17:10 (thematic): Speaks of the LORD searching hearts and testing reins—connects to the appeal for God to judge inward integrity and righteousness.
- Isa.11:3-4 (thematic): Foretells judgment carried out with righteousness and equity; thematically linked to the declaration that 'the LORD shall judge the peoples' and the request to be judged righteously.
Alternative generated candidates
- O LORD, judge the peoples; vindicate me, O LORD, according to my righteousness and the integrity within me.
- O LORD, judge the peoples; vindicate me, O LORD, according to my righteousness and according to the integrity that is in me.
Psa.7.10 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- יגמר: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- נא: PART
- רע: ADJ,m,sg,abs
- רשעים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- ותכונן: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- צדיק: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ובחן: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- לבות: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- וכליות: NOUN,f,pl,abs
- אלהים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- צדיק: NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Jeremiah 17:10 (verbal): Explicitly uses the same language of God searching/trying the heart and reins and declares God will repay each according to deeds—closely parallels “ובחן לבות וכליות אלהים צדיק.”
- Psalm 26:2 (verbal): Prayer for God to examine and try the psalmist’s heart and reins (“Examine me, O LORD, and prove me; try my reins and my heart”), echoing the motif of God testing the inner person.
- Psalm 139:23 (verbal): “Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me” echoes the appeal to God’s testing/knowing of the inner life and conscience found in Ps 7:10.
- Proverbs 17:3 (thematic): Compares God’s testing of hearts to refining metals—“the LORD trieth the hearts”—a parallel image of God’s righteous proving and judgment of the inner self.
Alternative generated candidates
- Let the evil of the wicked come to an end; establish the righteous—God tests hearts and kidneys; God is righteous.
- Let the evil of the wicked come to an end; establish the righteous— for God examines hearts and minds; God is righteous.
Psa.7.11 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- מגני: NOUN,m,pl,cons
- על: PREP
- אלהים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- מושיע: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ישרי: NOUN,m,pl,const
- לב: NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Psalm 3:3 (verbal): Uses the same image and verb (מָגֵן/מגן) — God as a shield protecting the psalmist, paralleling God as shield of the upright in Ps 7:11.
- Psalm 28:7 (verbal): Declares the LORD to be both strength and shield (מָגִנִּי), echoing the role of God as defender and protector of the righteous.
- Psalm 33:20 (verbal): Speaks of the LORD as our help and shield (עֶזְרֵנוּ וּמָגִנֵּנוּ), closely paralleling the combined ideas of salvation/help and protective shelter in Ps 7:11.
- Psalm 18:2 (thematic): Describes God as rock, fortress, and deliverer — a broader expression of the same theme: God as defender and savior of the upright.
- Isaiah 25:4 (thematic): Portrays God as a refuge/stronghold and shelter for the needy, thematically parallel to God’s role as protector and savior of the upright-hearted in Ps 7:11.
Alternative generated candidates
- God is a shield for the upright in heart, a saving refuge for the blameless.
- God is a shield for the upright, a savior to those whose hearts are whole.
Psa.7.12 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- אלהים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- שופט: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- צדיק: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ואל: CONJ+PREP
- זעם: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- בכל: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- יום: NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Psalm 9:8 (thematic): Declares God will judge the world in righteousness — a direct thematic echo of God as a righteous judge.
- Deuteronomy 32:4 (verbal): Describes God’s work as perfect and all his ways as justice — language closely paralleling the claim that God is a righteous judge.
- Nahum 1:2-3 (thematic): Presents God as jealous, avenging, and wrathful toward the wicked, emphasizing divine anger and retribution similar to the psalm’s note of God’s daily indignation.
- Romans 2:5-6 (thematic): Speaks of God’s coming judgment and repayment according to deeds — an NT theological parallel to the psalm’s emphasis on God’s righteous judgment and wrath.
Alternative generated candidates
- God is a righteous judge and every day is a God who bears wrath.
- God is a righteous judge; he is provoked every day.
Psa.7.13 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- אם: CONJ
- לא: PART_NEG
- ישוב: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- חרבו: NOUN,f,sg,abs+PRON,3,m
- ילטוש: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- קשתו: NOUN,f,sg,abs+3ms
- דרך: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- ויכוננה: VERB,qal,impf,3,f,sg
Parallels
- Deuteronomy 32:41 (verbal): God speaks of sharpening a flashing sword and taking hold of judgment — a close verbal and thematic echo of sharpening a sword in Psalm 7:13.
- Psalm 11:2–3 (verbal): Describes the wicked bending the bow and making ready the arrow; parallels the image of a drawn bow and impending divine action in Ps 7:13.
- Psalm 64:7 (verbal): Speaks of God shooting at the wicked with an arrow so that they are suddenly wounded — a direct parallel in imagery of God striking with projectile weapons.
- Habakkuk 3:11–13 (thematic): God’s coming is depicted with the light of his arrows and the gleam of his spear — related thematic language of divine weapons and judgment.
- Psalm 18:14–15 (thematic): Describes God sending out his arrows and flashing lightnings against enemies, echoing the motif of God preparing weapons to execute judgment.
Alternative generated candidates
- If he does not turn back his sword, he sharpens his bow and makes it ready.
- If he does not turn back his sword, he will bend his bow and make it ready; he has prepared his instruments of death.
Psa.7.14 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- ולו: CONJ+PREP+PRON,3,m,sg
- הכין: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- כלי: NOUN,m,pl,const
- מות: VERB,qal,infabs
- חציו: NOUN,m,sg,abs,poss:3ms
- לדלקים: PREP+NOUN,m,pl,abs
- יפעל: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
Parallels
- Psalm 7:13 (structural): Immediate parallel in the same psalm (and in some English versifications): continues the same motif of preparing instruments of death and plotting violence against others.
- Psalm 11:2 (verbal): Uses very similar bow-and-arrow imagery—'the wicked bend their bow, make ready their arrow'—expressing secret preparation of violent weapons against the righteous.
- Psalm 64:3-6 (thematic): Describes secret plots, sharpening words like swords and aiming at the innocent; parallels the theme of covert malice and devising destructive means.
- Proverbs 1:18 (thematic): Speaks of evildoers laying snares and ambushes that ultimately ensnare themselves—echoing the idea of preparing a pit or instruments of death which bring ruin.
- Isaiah 59:7-8 (thematic): Depicts people whose feet run to evil and whose thoughts are iniquity—'they make a net for themselves'—matching the moral imagery of conceiving mischief and producing violence/falsehood.
Alternative generated candidates
- He has prepared for himself tools of death; his arrows are made like burning shafts.
- He has fashioned for himself deadly implements; his arrows are made sharp—his shafts are ready to burn.
Psa.7.15 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- הנה: PART
- יחבל: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- און: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- והרה: VERB,qal,perf,3,f,sg
- עמל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- וילד: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- שקר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Ps.7:14 (structural): Immediate context/previous verse in the same psalm; continues the thought that the wicked devise mischief and bring forth falsehood.
- Prov.1:16 (verbal): Uses nearly identical language—'their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood'—paralleling the psalm's image of limbs quick to commit violence.
- Prov.6:18–19 (verbal): Lists a heart that devises wickedness and 'feet that are swift in running to mischief,' closely echoing the psalm's motif of devising evil and hands/feet engaged in wrongdoing.
- Isa.59:7 (thematic): Speaks of thoughts and actions bent toward iniquity—'their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood'—thematically matching the psalm's portrayal of plotted violence and falsehood.
Alternative generated candidates
- Behold, he devises mischief and conceives trouble; he brings forth falsehood.
- Behold, the wicked plots evil; he conceives trouble and brings forth lies.
Psa.7.16 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- בור: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- כרה: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- ויחפרהו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- ויפל: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- בשחת: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- יפעל: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
Parallels
- Proverbs 26:27 (verbal): Directly parallels the proverbic formula—'Whoever digs a pit will fall into it'—same idea of an enemy's trap turning back on them.
- Psalm 9:15 (9:16 MT) (verbal): Very similar wording and imagery: 'The nations have sunk in the pit that they made; in the net that they hid their own foot is caught,' echoing the pit/net motif and reversal of the foe's schemes.
- Psalm 35:7 (verbal): Speaks of enemies digging a pit for the psalmist ('they dug a pit for my life'), using the same hostile-pit image later reversed against the diggers.
- Psalm 57:6 (verbal): Describes adversaries setting a net and digging a pit but then falling into it themselves—closely mirrors the motif of hostile devices returning upon their makers.
Alternative generated candidates
- He has dug a pit and hollowed it out, and has fallen into the hole he made.
- He dug a pit and hollowed it out, and it will fall into the very hole he made.
Psa.7.17 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- ישוב: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- עמלו: VERB,qal,perf,3,pl
- בראשו: PREP,3,m,sg
- ועל: CONJ+PREP
- קדקדו: VERB,qal,perf,3,pl
- חמסו: VERB,qal,perf,3,pl
- ירד: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
Parallels
- Ps.7:15 (verbal): Immediate couplet in the same psalm: earlier line describes digging a pit and falling into it and the return of the aggressor’s mischief upon his own head—same imagery of evil reverting to its doer.
- Prov.26:27 (verbal): Uses the identical proverb-form image—'He who digs a pit will fall into it'—a direct verbal parallel about schemes recoiling on the schemer.
- Ps.35:8 (thematic): Prayer that an enemy’s hidden net or device should catch himself and destruction come upon him—same theme of an evildoer’s plans returning to harm him.
- Prov.1:31 (thematic): Says evildoers will 'eat the fruit of their own way,' conveying the same principle of retributive justice whereby one suffers the consequences of one’s deeds.
Alternative generated candidates
- His toil returns upon his own head, and his violence comes down upon his own crown.
- His toil shall return upon his own head, and his violence shall come down upon his own crown.
A shiggaion of David, which he sang to the LORD concerning Cush the Benjamite.
O LORD my God, in you I take refuge; save me from all who pursue me, and deliver me.
Lest he tear my soul like a lion—tear it apart—there is none to rescue.
O LORD my God, if I have done this, if there be injustice in my hands,
if I have repaid him who was at peace with me with evil, or plundered my foe without cause,
let the enemy pursue my life and overtake it; let him trample my life to the earth and lay my honor in the dust. Selah
Arise, O LORD, in your anger; lift yourself up because of the rage of my foes; awake for me—you have ordained judgment.
Let the assembly of the nations surround you; from among them return to the heights.
O LORD, judge the peoples; vindicate me, O LORD, according to my righteousness and according to the integrity that is in me.
Let the evil of the wicked come to an end; establish the righteous. For you, God, test hearts and kidneys; you are a righteous God.
God is a shield for the upright; he is a savior for those whose heart is right.
God is a righteous judge, and a God who shows indignation every day.
If he does not relent, he will sharpen his sword; he has bent his bow and made it ready.
He has prepared instruments of death; his arrows he makes fiery.
Behold, he devises wickedness; he conceives trouble and bears falsehood.
He dug a pit and hollowed it out; and it will fall into the hole he made.
His toil will return upon his own head, and his violence will come down on his own crown.