Psalms 94
1 O God, in whose hands is punishment, O God of punishment, let your shining face be seen.
A Psalm of David for the fourth [day] of the week. The Lord is a God of vengeance; the God of vengeance has declared himself.
2 Be lifted up, O judge of the earth; let their reward come to the men of pride.
Be you exalted, you that judge the earth: render a reward to the proud.
3 How long will sinners, O Lord, how long will sinners have joy over us?
How long shall sinners, O Lord, how long shall sinners boast?
4 Words of pride come from their lips; all the workers of evil say great things of themselves.
They will utter and speak unrighteousness; all the workers of iniquity will speak [so].
5 Your people are crushed by them, O Lord, your heritage is troubled,
They have afflicted your people, O Lord, and hurt your heritage.
6 They put to death the widow and the guest, they take the lives of children who have no father;
They have slain the widow and fatherless, and murdered the stranger.
7 And they say, Jah will not see it, the God of Jacob will not give thought to it.
And they said, The Lord shall not see, neither shall the God of Jacob understand.
8 Give your mind to my words, you who are without wisdom among the people; you foolish men, when will you be wise?
Understand now, you simple among the people; and you fools, at length be wise.
9 Has he by whom your ears were planted no hearing? or is he blind by whom your eyes were formed?
He that planted the ear, does he not hear? or he that formed the eye, does not he perceive?
10 He who is the judge of the nations, will he not give men the reward of their acts, even he who gives knowledge to man?
He that chastises the heathen, shall not he punish, [even] he that teaches man knowledge?
11 The Lord has knowledge of the thoughts of man, for they are only a breath.
The Lord knows the thoughts of men, that they are vain.
12 Happy is the man who is guided by you, O Jah, and to whom you give teaching out of your law;
Blessed is the man whoever you shall chasten, O Lord, and shall teach him out of your law;
13 So that you may give him rest from the days of evil, till a hole is made ready for the destruction of the sinners.
to give him rest from evil days, until a pit be digged for the sinful one.
14 The Lord will not give up his people, or take away his support from his heritage;
For the Lord will not cast off his people, neither will he forsake his inheritance;
15 But decisions will again be made in righteousness; and they will be kept by all whose hearts are true.
until righteousness return to judgment, and all the upright in heart shall follow it. (Pause)
16 Who will give me help against the sinners? and who will be my support against the workers of evil?
Who will rise up for me against the transgressors? or who will stand up with me against the workers of iniquity?
17 If the Lord had not been my helper, my soul would quickly have gone down into death.
If the Lord had not helped me, my soul had almost sojourned in Hades.
18 If I say, My foot is slipping; your mercy, O Lord, is my support.
If I said, My foot has been moved;
19 Among all my troubled thoughts, your comforts are the delight of my soul.
your mercy, O Lord, helped me. O Lord, according to the multitude of my griefs within my heart, your consolation have soothed my soul.
20 What part with you has the seat of sin, which makes evil into a law?
Shall the throne of iniquity have fellowship with you, which frames mischief by an ordinance?
21 They are banded together against the soul of the upright, to give decisions against those who have done no wrong.
They will hunt for the soul of the righteous, and condemn innocent blood.
22 But the Lord is my safe resting-place; my God is the Rock where I am safe.
But the Lord was my refuge; and my God the helper of my hope.
23 And he has made their evil designs come back on themselves, cutting them off in their sin; the Lord our God will put an end to them.
And he will recompense to them their iniquity and their wickedness: the Lord our God shall utterly destroy them.
