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Confidence in Yahweh’s Righteousness

For the music director. Of David.[a]

11 In Yahweh I have taken refuge;
how can you say to my soul,
“Flee to your mountain like a bird”?
For look: The wicked string the bow.[b]
They have fitted their arrow to the string,
to shoot from the darkness
at the upright of heart.
When the foundations are destroyed
what can the righteous do?[c]
Yahweh is in his holy temple;
Yahweh is in the heavens on his throne.
His eyelids see;
they test the children of humankind.
Yahweh tests the righteous,
but the wicked and the lover of violence
his soul hates.
He will rain coals[d] on the wicked.
Burning sulfur and scorching wind
will be the portion of their cup.
For Yahweh is righteous;
he loves righteous deeds.
The upright shall see his face.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 11:1 The Hebrew Bible counts the superscription as the first verse of the psalm
  2. Psalm 11:2 Literally “tread the bow,” that is, placing the foot on the bow to bend and string it
  3. Psalm 11:3 Or “what has the righteous done”
  4. Psalm 11:6 According to Symmachus (compare also Targum Psalms) a form slightly different from the MT’s “snares”

Psalm 11

For the director of music. Of David.

In the Lord I take refuge.(A)
    How then can you say to me:
    “Flee(B) like a bird to your mountain.(C)
For look, the wicked bend their bows;(D)
    they set their arrows(E) against the strings
to shoot from the shadows(F)
    at the upright in heart.(G)
When the foundations(H) are being destroyed,
    what can the righteous do?”

The Lord is in his holy temple;(I)
    the Lord is on his heavenly throne.(J)
He observes everyone on earth;(K)
    his eyes examine(L) them.
The Lord examines the righteous,(M)
    but the wicked, those who love violence,
    he hates with a passion.(N)
On the wicked he will rain
    fiery coals and burning sulfur;(O)
    a scorching wind(P) will be their lot.

For the Lord is righteous,(Q)
    he loves justice;(R)
    the upright(S) will see his face.(T)