< Psalms 94 >
1 LORD, you God to whom vengeance belongs, you God to whom vengeance belongs, shine out.
The Lord is the God to whom revenge belongeth: the God of revenge hath acted freely.
2 Rise up, you judge of the earth. Pay back the proud what they deserve.
Lift up thyself, thou that judgest the earth: render a reward to the proud.
3 LORD, how long will the wicked, how long will the wicked triumph?
How long shall sinners, O Lord: how long shall sinners glory?
4 They pour out arrogant words. All the evildoers boast.
Shall they utter, and speak iniquity: shall all speak who work injustice?
5 They break your people in pieces, LORD, and afflict your heritage.
Thy people, O Lord, they have brought low: and they have afflicted thy inheritance.
6 They kill the widow and the alien, and murder the fatherless.
They have slain the widow and the stranger: and they have murdered the fatherless.
7 They say, “The LORD will not see, neither will Jacob’s God consider.”
And they have said: The Lord shall not see: neither shall the God of Jacob understand.
8 Consider, you senseless among the people; you fools, when will you be wise?
Understand, ye senseless among the people: and, you fools, be wise at last.
9 He who implanted the ear, will not he hear? He who formed the eye, will not he see?
He that planted the ear, shall he not hear? or he that formed the eye, doth he not consider?
10 He who disciplines the nations, will not he punish? He who teaches man knows.
He that chastiseth nations, shall he not rebuke: he that teacheth man knowledge?
11 The LORD knows the thoughts of man, that they are futile.
The Lord knoweth the thoughts of men, that they are vain.
12 Blessed is the man whom you discipline, LORD, and teach out of your law,
Blessed is the man whom thou shalt instruct, O Lord: and shalt teach him out of thy law.
13 that you may give him rest from the days of adversity, until the pit is dug for the wicked.
That thou mayst give him rest from the evil days: till a pit be dug for the wicked.
14 For the LORD will not reject his people, neither will he forsake his inheritance.
For the Lord will not cast off his people: neither will he forsake his own inheritance.
15 For judgment will return to righteousness. All the upright in heart shall follow it.
Until justice be turned into judgment: and they that are near it are all the upright in heart.
16 Who will rise up for me against the wicked? Who will stand up for me against the evildoers?
Who shall rise up for me against the evildoers? or who shall stand with me against the workers of iniquity?
17 Unless the LORD had been my help, my soul would have soon lived in silence.
Unless the Lord had been my helper, my soul had almost dwelt in hell. ()
18 When I said, “My foot is slipping!” Your loving kindness, LORD, held me up.
If I said: My foot is moved: thy mercy, O Lord, assisted me.
19 In the multitude of my thoughts within me, your comforts delight my soul.
According to the multitude of my sorrows in my heart, thy comforts have given joy to my soul.
20 Shall the throne of wickedness have fellowship with you, which brings about mischief by statute?
Doth the seat of iniquity stick to thee, who framest labour in commandment?
21 They gather themselves together against the soul of the righteous, and condemn the innocent blood.
They will hunt after the soul of the just, and will condemn innocent blood.
22 But the LORD has been my high tower, my God, the rock of my refuge.
But the Lord is my refuge: and my God the help of my hope.
23 He has brought on them their own iniquity, and will cut them off in their own wickedness. The LORD, our God, will cut them off.
And he will render them their iniquity: and in their malice he will destroy them: the Lord our God will destroy them.