1 <Shiggaion of David; a song which he made to the Lord, about the words of Cush the Benjamite.> O Lord my God, I put my faith in you; take me out of the hands of him who is cruel to me, and make me free;

2 So that he may not come rushing on my soul like a lion, wounding it, while there is no one to be my saviour.

3 O Lord my God, if I have done this; if my hands have done any wrong;

4 If I have given back evil to him who did evil to me, or have taken anything from him who was against me without cause;

5 Let my hater go after my soul and take it; let my life be crushed to the earth, and my honour into the dust. (Selah.)

6 Come up, Lord, in your wrath; be lifted up against my haters; be awake, my God, give orders for the judging.

7 The meeting of the nations will be round you; take your seat, then, over them, on high.

8 The Lord will be judge of the peoples; give a decision for me, O Lord, because of my righteousness, and let my virtue have its reward.

9 O let the evil of the evil-doer come to an end, but give strength to the upright: for men's minds and hearts are tested by the God of righteousness.

10 God, who is the saviour of the upright in heart, is my breastplate.

11 God is the judge of the upright, and is angry with the evil-doers every day.

12 If a man is not turned from his evil, he will make his sword sharp; his bow is bent and ready.

13 He has made ready for him the instruments of death; he makes his arrows flames of fire.

14 That man is a worker of evil; the seed of wrongdoing has given birth to deceit.

15 He has made a hole deep in the earth, and is falling into the hole which he has made

16 His wrongdoing will come back to him, and his violent behaviour will come down on his head.

17 I will give praise to the Lord for his righteousness; I will make a song to the name of the Lord Most High.