Chapter 7

(A lament of David’s, which he sang to the Lord because of Chus, the Benjamite.)

O Lord my God, my confidence is in thee; save me from all my pursuers, and grant me deliverance:

else must I fall a helpless prey to the lion, be torn in pieces, with none to bring me aid.

O Lord my God, if I too have been at fault, if these hands are stained with guilt;

if I have been a false friend, and not rather spared even those that wronged me,

then indeed let some enemy overtake me with his relentless pursuit, trample me to earth, and level my pride with the dust!

Lord, rise up in thy anger, countervail the malice of my enemies; bestir thyself, O Lord my God, in defence of the laws thou thyself hast given us.

All the nations will gather about thee, if thou wilt come back to thy throne and rule them,

the Lord judging the nations! Give me redress, Lord, in my uprightness, in all the innocence of my heart.

Surely thou wilt put an end to the wrong-doing of the wicked, and prosper the innocent; no thought or desire of ours can escape the scrutiny of thy divine justice.

From the Lord, refuge of true hearts, my protection comes.

God judges ever true; day by day his indignation mounts up;

if they do not repent, his sword will flash bright; he has bent and aimed his bow;

deadly are the weapons he is preparing for them; he has barbed his arrows with fire.

Here was a heart pregnant with malice, that conceived only spite, and gave birth only to empty promise!

Here was one who dug a pit and sunk it deep, and fell into a snare of his own setting!

All his spite will recoil on himself, all his violence will fall his own head.

I will ever thank the Lord for his just retribution, singing praises to the name of the Lord, the most High.