New International Version NIV
New King James Version NKJV
1 LORD my God, I take refuge in you; save and deliver me from all who pursue me,
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A Meditation of David, which he sang to the Lord concerning the words of Cush, a Benjamite. O Lord my God, in You I put my trust; Save me from all those who persecute me; And deliver me,
2 or they will tear me apart like a lion and rip me to pieces with no one to rescue me.
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Lest they tear me like a lion, Rending me in pieces, while there is none to deliver.
3 LORD my God, if I have done this and there is guilt on my hands—
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O Lord my God, if I have done this: If there is iniquity in my hands,
4 if I have repaid my ally with evil or without cause have robbed my foe—
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If I have repaid evil to him who was at peace with me, Or have plundered my enemy without cause,
5 then let my enemy pursue and overtake me; let him trample my life to the ground and make me sleep in the dust.
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Let the enemy pursue me and overtake me; Yes, let him trample my life to the earth, And lay my honor in the dust. Selah
6 Arise, LORD, in your anger; rise up against the rage of my enemies. Awake, my God; decree justice.
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Arise, O Lord, in Your anger; Lift Yourself up because of the rage of my enemies; Rise up for me to the judgment You have commanded!
7 Let the assembled peoples gather around you, while you sit enthroned over them on high.
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So the congregation of the peoples shall surround You; For their sakes, therefore, return on high.
8 Let the LORD judge the peoples. Vindicate me, LORD, according to my righteousness, according to my integrity, O Most High.
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The Lord shall judge the peoples; Judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness, And according to my integrity within me.
9 Bring to an end the violence of the wicked and make the righteous secure— you, the righteous God who probes minds and hearts.
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Oh, let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end, But establish the just; For the righteous God tests the hearts and minds.
10 My shield is God Most High, who saves the upright in heart.
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My defense is of God, Who saves the upright in heart.
11 God is a righteous judge, a God who displays his wrath every day.
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God is a just judge, And God is angry with the wicked every day.
12 If he does not relent, he will sharpen his sword; he will bend and string his bow.
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If he does not turn back, He will sharpen His sword; He bends His bow and makes it ready.
13 He has prepared his deadly weapons; he makes ready his flaming arrows.
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He also prepares for Himself instruments of death; He makes His arrows into fiery shafts.
14 Whoever is pregnant with evil conceives trouble and gives birth to disillusionment.
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Behold, the wicked brings forth iniquity; Yes, he conceives trouble and brings forth falsehood.
15 Whoever digs a hole and scoops it out falls into the pit they have made.
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He made a pit and dug it out, And has fallen into the ditch which he made.
16 The trouble they cause recoils on them; their violence comes down on their own heads.
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His trouble shall return upon his own head, And his violent dealing shall come down on his own crown.
17 I will give thanks to the LORD because of his righteousness; I will sing the praises of the name of the LORD Most High.
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I will praise the Lord according to His righteousness, And will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High.
Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.