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 meditation by David, which he sang to the LORD, concerning the words of Cush, the Benjamite. LORD, my God, I take refuge in you. Save me from all those who pursue 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 they tear apart my soul like a lion, ripping it in pieces, while there is no one to deliver.
3 Yahweh my God, if I have done anything that is wrong,
LORD, my God, if I have done this, if there is iniquity 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 rewarded evil to him who was at peace with me (yes, I have plundered him who without cause was my adversary),
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 pursue my soul, and overtake it; yes, let him tread my life down to the earth, and lay my glory in the dust. (Selah)
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, LORD, in your anger. Lift up yourself against the rage of my adversaries. Awake for me. You have commanded judgment.
7 Gather around you the people of [all] nations, and rule them from where you are in heaven [MTY].
Let the congregation of the peoples surround you. Rule over them on high.
8 Yahweh, judge the people of [all] nations! And, Yahweh, show that I have done nothing that is wrong.
The LORD administers judgment to the peoples. Judge me, LORD, according to my righteousness, and to my integrity 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 the wicked come to an end, but establish the righteous; their minds and hearts are searched by the righteous God.
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 saves the upright in heart.
11 You judge [everyone] correctly, and every day you punish [wicked people].
God is a righteous judge, yes, a God who has indignation 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 a man doesn’t repent, he will sharpen his sword; he has bent and strung his bow.
13 You are preparing your weapons that kill those whom they strike; the arrows that you will shoot have flaming tips.
He has also prepared for himself the instruments of death. He makes ready his flaming 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 travails with iniquity. Yes, he has conceived mischief, and brought out falsehood.
15 But when they dig a deep pit [to trap others], they themselves will fall into it.
He has dug a hole, and has fallen into the pit 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.
The trouble he causes shall return to his own head. His violence shall come down on the crown of his own head.
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, and will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High.
