« | Psalm 7 | » |
1 A plaintive song of David, which he sang to the LORD concerning Cush, the Benjaminite.
2 LORD my God, in you I take refuge; rescue me; save me from all who pursue me,
3 Lest they maul me like lions, tear me to pieces with none to save.
4 LORD my God, if I am at fault in this, if there is guilt on my hands,
5 If I have repaid my friend with evil-- I spared even those who hated me without cause--
6 Then let my enemy pursue and overtake me, trample my life to the ground, and leave me dishonored in the dust.Selah
7 Rise up, LORD, in your anger; rise against the fury of my foes. Wake to judge as you have decreed.
8 Have the assembly of the peoples gather about you; sit on your throne high above them,
9 O LORD, judge of the nations. Grant me justice, LORD, for I am blameless, free of any guilt.
10 Bring the malice of the wicked to an end; uphold the innocent, O God of justice, who tries hearts and minds.
11 A shield before me is God who saves the honest heart.
12 God is a just judge, who rebukes in anger every day.
13 If sinners do not repent, God sharpens his sword, strings and readies the bow,
14 Prepares his deadly shafts, makes arrows blazing thunderbolts.
15 Sinners conceive iniquity; pregnant with mischief, they give birth to failure.
16 They open a hole and dig it deep, but fall into the pit they have dug.
17 Their mischief comes back upon themselves; their violence falls on their own heads. VI
18 I praise the justice of the LORD; I celebrate the name of the LORD Most High.
The New American Standard Updated Version (NASU)
The New American Standard Updated Version (NASU) is a highly respected English translation of the Bible known for its rigorous adherence to the original languages of Scripture. First published in 1995 by the Lockman Foundation, the NASU is an update of the New American Standard Bible (NASB), which was originally completed in 1971. The NASU seeks to improve upon the NASB by enhancing readability and modernizing the language while maintaining the translation’s reputation for being one of the most literal translations available. This makes the NASU a preferred choice for serious Bible study, preaching, and teaching.
A key feature of the NASU is its commitment to formal equivalence, or a word-for-word translation philosophy. The translators aimed to produce a text that is as close as possible to the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek manuscripts. This approach ensures that the NASU captures the precise meaning and structure of the original texts, providing readers with a highly accurate and reliable representation of the Scriptures. The use of formal equivalence makes the NASU particularly valuable for those who desire a deep and detailed understanding of the Bible, including scholars, theologians, and students of the Word.
In updating the NASB, the NASU made several important changes to improve clarity and readability. While maintaining the accuracy and literalness of the translation, the NASU incorporates modern English expressions and smoother sentence structures. This makes the text more accessible to contemporary readers without compromising the precision that the NASB is known for. The NASU also includes updated cross-references and footnotes, which provide additional context and insights, further aiding in the study and understanding of the biblical text.
Despite its many strengths, the NASU has faced some criticism. Some readers and scholars argue that the translation’s emphasis on literalness can sometimes result in a text that feels stiff or less fluid than more dynamic translations. Additionally, while the NASU’s updated language makes it more accessible, some feel that it could go further in adapting to contemporary usage without losing its accuracy. Nevertheless, the New American Standard Updated Version remains a highly esteemed translation, valued for its fidelity to the original texts and its usefulness for in-depth study and precise interpretation of the Bible.