Psalms 7
1 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].
A Psalm of David, which he sang to the Lord because of the words of Chusi the Benjamite. O Lord my God, in thee have I trusted: save me from all them that persecute me, and deliver me.
2 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].
Lest at any time [the enemy] seize my soul as a lion, while there is none to ransom, nor to save.
3 Yahweh my God, if I have done anything that is wrong,
O Lord my God, if I have done this; (if there is unrighteousness in my hands; )
4 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,
if I have requited with evil those who requited me [with good]; may I then perish empty by means of my enemies.
5 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.
Let the enemy persecute my soul, an take it; and let him trample my life on the ground, and lay my glory in the dust. (Pause)
6 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!
Arise, O Lord, in thy wrath; be exalted in the utmost boundaries of mine enemies: awake, O Lord my God, according to the decree which thou didst command.
7 Gather around you the people of [all] nations, and rule them from where you are in heaven [MTY].
And the congregation of the nations shall compass thee: and for this cause do thou return on high.
8 Yahweh, judge the people of [all] nations! And, Yahweh, show that I have done nothing that is wrong.
The Lord shall judge the nations: judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness, and according to my innocence that is in me.
9 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!
Oh let the wickedness of sinners come to an end; and [then] thou shalt direct the righteous, O God that searchest the hearts and reins.
10 God, you protect me like a shield [protects soldiers] [MET]; you protect all those who are righteous in their inner being.
My help is righteous, [coming] from God who saves the upright in heart.
11 You judge [everyone] correctly, and every day you punish [wicked people].
God is a righteous judge, and strong, and patient, not inflicting vengeance every day.
12 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].
If ye will not repent, he will furbish his sword; he has bent his bow, and made it ready.
13 You are preparing your weapons that kill those whom they strike; the arrows that you will shoot have flaming tips.
And on it he has fitted the instruments of death; he has completed his arrows for the raging ones.
14 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].
Behold, he has travailed with unrighteousness, he has conceived trouble, and brought forth iniquity.
15 But when they dig a deep pit [to trap others], they themselves will fall into it.
He has opened a pit, and dug it up, and he shall fall into the ditch which he has made.
16 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.
His trouble shall return on his own head, and his unrighteousness shall come down on his own crown.
17 I praise Yahweh because he [always acts] righteously/justly; I sing to praise Yahweh, the one who is much greater than any other god.
I will give thanks to the Lord according to his righteousness; I will sing to the name of the Lord most high.
