Psalms 7
1 [A meditation by David, which he sang to YHWH, concerning the words of Cush, the Benjamite.] YHWH, my God, I take refuge in you. Save me from all those who pursue me, 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 they tear apart my soul like a lion, ripping it in pieces, while there is none to deliver.
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 YHWH, my God, if I have done this, if there is iniquity in my hands,
Yahweh my God, if I have done anything that is wrong,
4 if I have rewarded evil to him who was at peace with me, or oppressed my enemy without cause,
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 my soul, and overtake it; yes, let him tread my life down 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, YHWH, in your anger. Lift up yourself against the rage of my adversaries. Awake, my God; you have appointed 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 let the congregation of the peoples surround you, and rule over them on high.
Gather around you the people of [all] nations, and rule them from where you are in heaven [MTY].
8 YHWH administers judgment to the peoples. Judge me, YHWH, according to my righteousness, and to my integrity that 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 wickedness of the wicked come to an end, but establish the righteous. The righteous God tests hearts and minds.
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 saves 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, yes, a God who has indignation every day.
You judge [everyone] correctly, and every day you punish [wicked people].
12 If a man doesn't relent, he will sharpen his sword; he has bent and strung his bow.
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 He has also prepared for himself deadly weapons. He makes ready his flaming arrows.
You are preparing your weapons that kill those whom they strike; the arrows that you will shoot have flaming tips.
14 Look, he travails with iniquity. Yes, he has 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 has dug a hole, and has fallen into the pit which he made.
But when they dig a deep pit [to trap others], they themselves will fall into it.
16 The trouble he causes shall return to his own head, and his violence shall come down on the crown of his own head.
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 give thanks to YHWH according to his righteousness, and will sing praise to the name of YHWH 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.
