Mazmur 64:2-4

64:2 Hide me from the plots of evil men,

from the crowd of evildoers. ¹ 

64:3 They ²  sharpen their tongues like a sword;

they aim their arrow, a slanderous charge, ³ 

64:4 in order to shoot down the innocent ⁴  in secluded places.

They shoot at him suddenly and are unafraid of retaliation. ⁵ 

[64:2]  ¹ tn Heb “workers of wickedness.”

[64:3]  ² tn Heb “who.” A new sentence was started here in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[64:3]  ³ tn Heb “a bitter word.”

[64:4]  ⁴ tn The psalmist uses the singular because he is referring to himself here as representative of a larger group.

[64:4]  ⁵ tn Heb “and are unafraid.” The words “of retaliation” are supplied in the translation for clarification.