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 Jehovah, on account of the reproaches of Cush the Benjamite.” O Jehovah, my God! to thee do I look for help; Save me from 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 mine enemy tear me like a lion; Lest he rend me in pieces, while there is none to help.
3 Yahweh my God, if I have done anything that is wrong,
O Jehovah, my God! if I have done this, —If there be iniquity upon 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 rendered evil to my friend, Or have despoiled him that without cause is mine enemy, —
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 my adversary pursue and take me; Let him trample me to the ground, And lay me prostrate 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 thine anger; Lift thyself up against the rage of mine enemies; Awake for me, ordain judgment!
7 Gather around you the people of [all] nations, and rule them from where you are in heaven [MTY].
Let the assembly of the nations compass thee about, And on their account return to the height!
8 Yahweh, judge the people of [all] nations! And, Yahweh, show that I have done nothing that is wrong.
The LORD judgeth the nations; Judge me, O LORD! according to my righteousness, And requite me according to my integrity!
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 the wicked be at an end; But establish the righteous! For the righteous God trieth the heart and the reins.
10 God, you protect me like a shield [protects soldiers] [MET]; you protect all those who are righteous in their inner being.
My shield is with God, Who saveth the upright in heart.
11 You judge [everyone] correctly, and every day you punish [wicked people].
God is a righteous judge, And a God who is angry 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 he do not desist, He sharpeneth his sword; He bendeth his bow, and maketh it ready;
13 You are preparing your weapons that kill those whom they strike; the arrows that you will shoot have flaming tips.
He prepareth for him the instruments of death; He shooteth his burning arrows.
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 travailed with iniquity, And conceived mischief, But hath brought forth disappointment!
15 But when they dig a deep pit [to trap others], they themselves will fall into it.
He made a pit and digged it. And is fallen into the ditch which he 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 mischief returneth upon his own head, And his violence cometh down upon his own skull.
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 praise the LORD according to his righteousness; I will sing praise to the name of the LORD most high.
