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Psalm 7

Plea for Help against Persecutors

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

O Lord my God, in you I take refuge;
    save me from all my pursuers, and deliver me,(A)
or like a lion they will tear me apart;
    they will drag me away, with no one to rescue.(B)

O Lord my God, if I have done this,
    if there is wrong in my hands,(C)
if I have repaid my ally with harm
    or plundered my foe without cause,(D)
then let the enemy pursue and overtake me,
    trample my life to the ground,
    and lay my soul in the dust. Selah

Rise up, O Lord, in your anger;
    lift yourself up against the fury of my enemies;
    awake, O my God;[a] you have appointed a judgment.(E)
Let the assembly of the peoples be gathered around you,
    and over it take your seat[b] on high.(F)
The Lord judges the peoples;
    judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness
    and according to the integrity that is in me.(G)

O let the evil of the wicked come to an end,
    but establish the righteous,
you who test the minds and hearts,
    O righteous God.(H)
10 God is my shield,
    who saves the upright in heart.(I)
11 God is a righteous judge
    and a God who has indignation every day.(J)

12 If one does not repent, God[c] will whet his sword;
    he has bent and strung his bow;(K)
13 he has prepared his deadly weapons,
    making his arrows fiery shafts.(L)
14 See how they conceive evil
    and are pregnant with mischief
    and bring forth lies.(M)
15 They make a pit, digging it out,
    and fall into the hole that they have made.(N)
16 Their mischief returns upon their own heads,
    and on their own heads their violence descends.(O)

17 I will give to the Lord the thanks due to his righteousness
    and sing praise to the name of the Lord, the Most High.(P)

Psalm 8

Divine Majesty and Human Dignity

To the leader: according to The Gittith. A Psalm of David.

O Lord, our Sovereign,
    how majestic is your name in all the earth!

You have set your glory above the heavens.(Q)
    Out of the mouths of babes and infants
you have founded a bulwark because of your foes,
    to silence the enemy and the avenger.(R)

When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
    the moon and the stars that you have established;(S)
what are humans that you are mindful of them,
    mortals[d] that you care for them?(T)

Yet you have made them a little lower than God[e]
    and crowned them with glory and honor.(U)
You have given them dominion over the works of your hands;
    you have put all things under their feet,(V)
all sheep and oxen,
    and also the beasts of the field,
the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea,
    whatever passes along the paths of the seas.

O Lord, our Sovereign,
    how majestic is your name in all the earth!(W)

Footnotes

  1. 7.6 Or awake for me
  2. 7.7 Cn: Heb return
  3. 7.12 Heb he
  4. 8.4 Heb son of man
  5. 8.5 Or than the divine beings or angels

Psalm 7[a]

A shiggaion[b](A) of David, which he sang to the Lord concerning Cush, a Benjamite.

Lord my God, I take refuge(B) in you;
    save and deliver me(C) from all who pursue me,(D)
or they will tear me apart like a lion(E)
    and rip me to pieces with no one to rescue(F) me.

Lord my God, if I have done this
    and there is guilt on my hands(G)
if I have repaid my ally with evil
    or without cause(H) have robbed my foe—
then let my enemy pursue and overtake(I) me;
    let him trample my life to the ground(J)
    and make me sleep in the dust.[c](K)

Arise,(L) Lord, in your anger;
    rise up against the rage of my enemies.(M)
    Awake,(N) my God; decree justice.
Let the assembled peoples gather around you,
    while you sit enthroned over them on high.(O)
    Let the Lord judge(P) the peoples.
Vindicate me, Lord, according to my righteousness,(Q)
    according to my integrity,(R) O Most High.(S)
Bring to an end the violence of the wicked
    and make the righteous secure—(T)
you, the righteous God(U)
    who probes minds and hearts.(V)

10 My shield[d](W) is God Most High,
    who saves the upright in heart.(X)
11 God is a righteous judge,(Y)
    a God who displays his wrath(Z) every day.
12 If he does not relent,(AA)
    he[e] will sharpen his sword;(AB)
    he will bend and string his bow.(AC)
13 He has prepared his deadly weapons;
    he makes ready his flaming arrows.(AD)

14 Whoever is pregnant with evil
    conceives trouble and gives birth(AE) to disillusionment.
15 Whoever digs a hole and scoops it out
    falls into the pit(AF) they have made.(AG)
16 The trouble they cause recoils on them;
    their violence comes down on their own heads.

17 I will give thanks to the Lord because of his righteousness;(AH)
    I will sing the praises(AI) of the name of the Lord Most High.(AJ)

Psalm 8[f]

For the director of music. According to gittith.[g] A psalm of David.

Lord, our Lord,
    how majestic is your name(AK) in all the earth!

You have set your glory(AL)
    in the heavens.(AM)
Through the praise of children and infants
    you have established a stronghold(AN) against your enemies,
    to silence the foe(AO) and the avenger.
When I consider your heavens,(AP)
    the work of your fingers,(AQ)
the moon and the stars,(AR)
    which you have set in place,
what is mankind that you are mindful of them,
    human beings that you care for them?[h](AS)

You have made them[i] a little lower than the angels[j](AT)
    and crowned them[k] with glory and honor.(AU)
You made them rulers(AV) over the works of your hands;(AW)
    you put everything under their[l] feet:(AX)
all flocks and herds,(AY)
    and the animals of the wild,(AZ)
the birds in the sky,
    and the fish in the sea,(BA)
    all that swim the paths of the seas.

Lord, our Lord,
    how majestic is your name in all the earth!(BB)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 7:1 In Hebrew texts 7:1-17 is numbered 7:2-18.
  2. Psalm 7:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
  3. Psalm 7:5 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.
  4. Psalm 7:10 Or sovereign
  5. Psalm 7:12 Or If anyone does not repent, / God
  6. Psalm 8:1 In Hebrew texts 8:1-9 is numbered 8:2-10.
  7. Psalm 8:1 Title: Probably a musical term
  8. Psalm 8:4 Or what is a human being that you are mindful of him, / a son of man that you care for him?
  9. Psalm 8:5 Or him
  10. Psalm 8:5 Or than God
  11. Psalm 8:5 Or him
  12. Psalm 8:6 Or made him ruler . . . ; / . . . his