< Psalms 7 >

1 Shiggaion of David, which he sang to Jehovah, concerning the words of Cush the Benjaminite. Jehovah my God, in thee have I trusted: save me from all my pursuers, and deliver me;
Yahweh my God, I come to you to protect me. Rescue me, save me from all those who are pursuing me [in order to harm me].
2 Lest he tear my soul like a lion, crushing it while there is no deliverer.
If you do not do that, they will tear me into pieces like a lion does [when it attacks the animals it wants to kill], and no one will save me [from them].
3 Jehovah my God, if I have done this, if there be iniquity in my hands;
Yahweh my God, if I have done anything that is wrong,
4 If I have rewarded evil to him that was at peace with me; (indeed I have freed him that without cause oppressed me; )
if I have done evil to some friend who did good things to me, or if, for no good reason, I have spared (OR, acted violently toward) those who were my enemies,
5 Let the enemy pursue after my soul, and take [it], and let him tread down my life to the earth, and lay my glory in the dust. (Selah)
allow my enemies to pursue me and capture me. Allow them to trample me into the ground and leave me [SYN] [lying dead] in the dirt.
6 Arise, Jehovah, in thine anger; lift thyself up against the raging of mine oppressors, and awake for me: thou hast commanded judgment.
But Yahweh, because you are [very] angry [with those who pursue me], arise and attack/defeat my enemies who are furiously/angrily [attacking me] Do to them what is just!
7 And the assembly of the peoples shall encompass thee; and for their sakes return thou on high.
Gather around you the people of [all] nations, and rule them from where you are in heaven [MTY].
8 Jehovah shall minister judgment to the peoples. Judge me, Jehovah, according to my righteousness, and according to mine integrity which is in me.
Yahweh, judge the people of [all] nations! And, Yahweh, show that I have done nothing that is wrong.
9 Oh let the wrong of the wicked come to an end, and establish thou the righteous [man]; even thou that triest the hearts and reins, the righteous God.
God, you know what every person is thinking, and because you are righteous, you [always] do what is just/right. [So now] stop evil people from doing wicked [deeds], and defend [all of us who are] righteous!
10 My shield is with God, who saveth the upright in heart.
God, you protect me like a shield [protects soldiers] [MET]; you protect all those who are righteous in their inner being.
11 God is a righteous judge, and a God who is indignant all the day.
You judge [everyone] correctly, and every day you punish [wicked people].
12 If one turn not, he will sharpen his sword; he hath bent his bow and made it ready,
Whenever your enemies do not (repent/change their behavior), [it is as though] [MET] you sharpen your sword and put a string on your bow [to get ready to kill them].
13 And he hath prepared for him instruments of death; his arrows hath he made burning.
You are preparing your weapons that kill those whom they strike; the arrows that you will shoot have flaming tips.
14 Behold, he travaileth with iniquity, yea, he hath conceived mischief, and brought forth falsehood:
Wicked people tell lies, and they think that they surely will be able to do [MET] the evil things that they are planning to do [just as surely as] a pregnant woman [knows that she is going to give birth to a child] [MET].
15 He digged a pit, and hollowed it out, and is fallen into the hole that he made.
But when they dig a deep pit [to trap others], they themselves will fall into it.
16 His mischief shall return upon his own head, and his violence shall come down upon his own pate.
They themselves will experience the trouble that they want to cause others to have; they will hurt themselves by the violent things that they want to do to others.
17 I will praise Jehovah according to his righteousness, and will sing forth the name of Jehovah the Most High.
I praise Yahweh because he [always acts] righteously/justly; I sing to praise Yahweh, the one who is much greater than any other god.

< Psalms 7 >