Prayer for Justice

A Shiggaiona of David, which he sang to the LORD concerning the words of •Cush,b a Benjaminite.

1•Yahweh my God, I seek refuge in You;c

save me from all my pursuers and rescue med

2or theye will tear me like a lion,

ripping me apart with no one to rescue me.f, g

3Yahweh my God, if I have done this,

if there is injustice on my hands,h

4if I have done harm to one at peace with mei

or have plunderedj my adversary without cause,k

5may an enemy pursue and overtake me;

may he trample me to the groundl

and leave my honor in the dust.m•Selah

6Rise up, LORD, in Your anger;

lift Yourself up against the fury of my adversaries;n

awake for me;o, p

You have ordainedq a judgment.r

7Let the assembly of peoples gather around You;s

take Your seatt on high over it.u

8The LORD judges the peoples;v

vindicate me, LORD,

according to my righteousness and my integrity.w, x

9Let the evil of the wicked come to an end,y

but establish the righteous.z

The One who examines the thoughts and emotionsaa

is a righteous God.ab

10My shield is withac God,ad

who saves the upright in heart.ae

11God is a righteous judge

and a God who shows His wrath every day.af

12If anyone does not repent,

Godag will sharpen His sword;ah

He has strungai His bow and made it ready.aj

13He has prepared His deadly weapons;

He tips His arrows with fire.ak

14See, the wicked one is pregnant with evil,

conceives trouble, and gives birth to deceit.al

15He dug a pit and hollowed it out

but fell into the hole he had made.am

16His trouble comes back on his own head,

and his violence falls on the top of his head.an

17I will thank the LORD for His righteousness;

I will sing about the name of Yahweh the •Most High.ao