For look, the wicked ¹  prepare ²  their bows, ³  they put their arrows on the strings, to shoot in the darkness ⁴  at the morally upright. ⁵ 

biblegateway Psa 11:2

For, behold, the wicked bend the bow, They make ready their arrow upon the string To shoot in darkness at the upright in heart.

For look, the wicked string the bow; they put the arrow on the bowstring to shoot from the shadows at the upright in heart.

Wicked people bend their bows. They set their arrows against the strings to shoot in the dark at people whose motives are decent.

biblegateway Psa 11:2

For look, the wicked bend their bows; they set their arrows against the strings to shoot from the shadows at the upright in heart.

for behold, the wicked bend the bow; they have fitted their arrow to the string to shoot in the dark at the upright in heart;

bibleoremus Psa 11:2

for look, the wicked bend the bow, they have fitted their arrow to the string, to shoot in the dark at the upright in heart.

for see, the wicked string their bows and fit the arrow to the bowstring, to shoot from the darkness at honest folk”?

biblegateway Psa 11:2

For look! The wicked bend their bow, They make ready their arrow on the string, That they may shoot secretly at the upright in heart.

For, lo, the wicked bend [their] bow, they make ready their arrow upon the string, that they may privily shoot at the upright in heart.

biblegateway Psa 11:2

For look, the wicked ¹  prepare ²  their bows, ³  they put their arrows on the strings, to shoot in the darkness ⁴  at the morally upright. ⁵ 

¹ tn In the psalms the “wicked” (רְשָׁעִים, rÿsha’im) are typically proud, practical atheists (Ps 10:2, 4, 11) who hate God’s commands, commit sinful deeds, speak lies and slander (Ps 50:16-20), and cheat others (Ps 37:21). They oppose God and threaten his people (Ps 3:8).

² tn The Hebrew imperfect verbal form depicts the enemies’ hostile action as underway.

³ tn Heb “a bow.”

⁴ sn In the darkness. The enemies’ attack, the precise form of which is not indicated, is compared here to a night ambush by archers; the psalmist is defenseless against this deadly attack.

⁵ tn Heb “pure of heart.” The “heart” is here viewed as the seat of one’s moral character and motives. The “pure of heart” are God’s faithful followers who trust in and love the Lord and, as a result, experience his deliverance (see Pss 7:10; 32:11; 36:10; 64:10; 94:15; 97:11).