May the evil deeds of the wicked ¹  come to an end! ²  But make the innocent ³  secure, ⁴  O righteous God, you who examine ⁵  inner thoughts and motives! ⁶ 

biblegateway Psa 7:9

O let the evil of the wicked come to an end, but establish the righteous; For the righteous God tries the hearts and minds.

Let the evil of the wicked come to an end, but establish the righteous. The One who examines the thoughts and emotions is a righteous God.

Let the evil within wicked people come to an end, but make the righteous person secure, O righteous God who examines thoughts and emotions.

biblegateway Psa 7:9

O righteous God, who searches minds and hearts, bring to an end the violence of the wicked and make the righteous secure.

Oh, let the evil of the wicked come to an end, and may you establish the righteous-- you who test the minds and hearts, O righteous God!

bibleoremus Psa 7:9

O let the evil of the wicked come to an end, but establish the righteous, you who test the minds and hearts, O righteous God.

Let the wicked do no more harm, but grant support to the righteous, you searcher of heart and mind, you righteous God.

biblegateway Psa 7:9

Oh, let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end, But establish the just; For the righteous God tests the hearts and minds.

Oh let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end; but establish the just: for the righteous God trieth the hearts and reins.

biblegateway Psa 7:9

May the evil deeds of the wicked ¹  come to an end! ²  But make the innocent ³  secure, ⁴  O righteous God, you who examine ⁵  inner thoughts and motives! ⁶ 

¹ tn In the psalms the Hebrew term רְשָׁעִים (rÿsha’im, “wicked”) describes people who are 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 his people.

² tn The prefixed verbal form is a jussive, expressing an imprecation here.

³ tn Or “the godly” (see Ps 5:12). The singular form is collective (see the plural “upright in heart” in v. 10), though it may reflect the personal focus of the psalmist in this context.

⁴ tn The prefixed verbal form expresses the psalmist’s prayer or wish.

⁵ tn For other uses of the verb in this sense, see Job 7:18; Pss 11:4; 26:2; 139:23.

⁶ tn Heb “and [the one who] tests hearts and kidneys, just God.” The translation inverts the word order to improve the English style. The heart and kidneys were viewed as the seat of one’s volition, conscience, and moral character.