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A Prayer for Fairness

A shiggaion [C a musical or literary term of uncertain meaning] of David which he sang to the Lord about Cush, from the tribe of Benjamin [C an unknown person, but the tribe of Benjamin, Saul’s tribe, resisted David’s kingship at first; 2 Sam. 3–4].

Lord my God, I ·trust in you for protection [find refuge in you].
    ·Save [Rescue; T Deliver] me and rescue me
    from those who are ·chasing [pursuing] me.
Otherwise, like a lion they will tear me apart.
    They will ·rip me to pieces [or drag me away], and no one can ·save [rescue; T deliver] me.

Lord my God, what have I done?
    Have my hands done something ·wrong [to make me guilty]?
Have I done wrong to ·my friend [L the one at peace with me]
    or stolen without reason from my enemy?
If I have, let my enemy ·chase [pursue] me and ·capture [overtake] me.
    Let him trample ·me [L my life] into the ·dust [earth]
and ·bury me [L lay my honor] in the ground. ·Selah [Interlude]

Lord, rise up in your anger;
    ·stand up [L lift yourself up] against my enemies’ ·anger [fury].
    ·Get up [Wake up], ·my God [or for me], and ·demand fairness [insist on/L command judgment].
Gather the ·nations [L assembly/congregations of the peoples] around you
    and ·rule [or take a seat over; L return] them from ·above [on high].
Lord, judge the people.
    Lord, ·defend [judge] me ·because I am right [according to my righteousness],
    ·because I have done no wrong [according to my innocence].
God, you ·do what is right [are righteous].
    You ·know [L test] our ·thoughts [L hearts/minds] and ·feelings [L kidneys; C the seat of emotions in Hebrew thought].
Stop those wicked actions done by evil people,
    and ·help [establish] those who ·do what is right [are righteous].

10 God ·protects me like a [is my] shield;
    he saves those whose hearts ·are right [have integrity].
11 God ·judges by what is right [is a righteous judge],
    and God is ·always ready to punish the wicked [L angry every day].
12 If they do not ·change their lives [repent],
    God will sharpen his sword;
    he will string his bow and take aim.
13 He has prepared his deadly weapons;
    he has made his flaming arrows.

14 There are people who ·think up [L conceive] evil
    and ·plan [L are pregnant with] ·trouble [malice] and ·tell [L give birth to] lies.
15 They dig a ·hole [pit] ·to trap others [L and dig it deep],
    but they will fall into it themselves.
16 ·They will get themselves into trouble [L Their trouble/malice will return to their head];
    the violence they cause will ·hurt only themselves [L come down on their heads; Prov. 26:27; Matt. 26:52].

17 I praise the Lord ·because he does what is right [according to his righteousness].
I sing praises to the Lord Most High.

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