Psalm 7
Words: The Psalter of the United Presbyterian Church of North America, 1887 ed.
There are also Short Metre and Common Metre versions of this Psalm on this page
(11's) 1 Jehovah, my God, on thy help I depend;
From all those who persecute, save and defend;
Lest he like a lion, in rage tear my soul,
When no one is near me his rage to control.
2 My God, O Jehovah, if I have done this,
Or if in my hands this iniquity is;
If him I have wronged who with me was at peace;
(My foe without cause, I did even release.)
3 My soul let the enemy seize for his prey,
My life and my honor in dust let him lay.
Arise, Lord, in anger, thy help interpose,
Arise, thou, because of the rage of my foes.
4 Awake, that my cause may by thee be sustained,
Awake to the judgment which thou hast ordained,
And then shall the people around thee draw nigh;
For sake of them, therefore, return thou on high.
5 All nations of men shall be judged by the Lord;
To me, O Jehovah, just judgment afford,
According as righteous in life I have been~
And ever integrity cherished within.
6 Establish the just, and let evil depart,
For God who is just tries the reins and the heart.
In God for defense I have placed all my trust;
He saveth the upright and judgeth the just.
7 The Lord with the wicked is wroth every day,
His sword, if they turn not, is sharpened to slay;
His bow is now bent, and his arrows are aimed;
His weapons of death for oppressors are framed.
8 Behold, he in wickedness labors with pain;
He mischief conceives, but he brings forth in vain.
He made a deep pit, other men to ensnare,
But fell in the ditch which himself did prepare.
9 On him shall his mischievous plots return home,
His violent deeds on his own head shall come:
To God for his righteousness, praises I'll sing;
I'll sing to the name of Jehovah our King.
1 O LORD, my God, in thee
Do I my trust repose;
O do thou save, and rescue me
From all my cruel foes.
2 Lest they my soul should tear,
And like a lion rend,
When no deliverer is near
To rescue and defend.
3 Lord, if thy searching eye
This crime in me hath seen;
If on my hand the guilt do lie
Of this most grievous sin:
4 If evil I repaid
To one with me at peace,
(Yea, I my causeless foe did aid,
And freely did release.)
5 Then let the foe in strife
Pursue me as his prey,
Tread down upon the earth my life,
In dust my honor lay.
6 In wrath lift up thy hand;
My foes are filled with rage;
Awake, and as thou didst command,
On my behalf engage.
7 So saints with one accord
Around thee shall draw nigh;
And therefore for their sakes, O Lord,
Do thou return on high.
8 Thou, Lord, shalt judge all flesh;
In judgment take my part,
According to my righteousness,
And purity of heart.
9 Let sin no longer be,
Whilst God the just sustains,
For God is righteous, and doth see,
And try the heart and reins.
10 God saves the pure in heart;
He shields me in my way;
In judgment takes the just man's part,
Hates sinners every day.
11 If they do not repent,
His sword he sharpened hath,
His bow is ready made, and bent
To execute his wrath.
12 To smite with deadly blows,
His weapons he hath framed;
Against all persecuting foes
His arrows he hath aimed.
13 The foe hath labored long
In vain and wicked things;
In heart he mischief plans and wrong,
And falsehood forth he brings.
14 A secret pit he made,
Where others might be snared;
Lie prostrate in that pit is laid
Which his own hands prepared.
15 The mischiefs he designed
Shall on his head come down;
His violence reward shall find,
Returned on his own crown.
16 For all his righteousness,
The Lord I'll magnify;
His name will I forever Bless,
The name of God Most High.
1 O Lord my God, in thee do I
My confidence repose;
Deliver me and save from all
My persecuting foes.
2 Lest like a lion fierce the foe
My soul should seize and rend,
In pieces tearing it, whilst there
Is no one to defend.
3 O Lord my God, if it be so
That I committed this;
If it be so that in my hands
Iniquity there is;
4 If I rewarded ill to him
Who was at peace with me;
(Yea, ev'n the man that without cause
My foe was, I did free;)
5 Then let the foe pursue and take
My soul, and my life thrust
Down to the earth, and let him lay
My honor in the dust.
6 Rise in thy wrath, Lord, raise thyself,
For my foes raging be;
And to the judgment which thou hast i
Commanded wake for me.
7 The people shall assemble then,
And unto thee draw nigh;
Return thou therefore for their sakes
Unto thy place on high.
8 Jehovah shall the people judge;
My judge, Jehovah, be,
According to my righteousness,
And inward purity.
9 O let the wicked's malice cease,
But let the just abide,
For God is righteous, and by him
The heart and reins are tried.
10 In God, who saves the pure in heart,
Is my defense and stay.
God judgeth just men, but is wroth
With sinners every day.
11 Then if the sinner do not turn,
The Lord his sword will whet;
His bow he hath already bent,
And hath it ready set.
12 He also hath for him prepared
The instruments of death;
Against the persecutors he
Ordained his arrows hath.
13 Behold, he with iniquity
Doth travail as in birth;
He also mischief hath conceived,
And falsehood shall bring forth.
14 He made a pit, and digged it deep,
Another there to take;
But now is prostrate in the ditch
Which he himself did make.
15 His mischief on his guilty head
In justice shall come down;
His lawless deeds in vengeance fall
On his devoted crown.
16 According to his righteousness
The Lord I'll magnify,
And will sing praises to the name
Of God, who is Most High.
