Psalms 94
1 The Lord is a God of vengeance! God of vengeance, shine out!
O God, in whose hands is punishment, O God of punishment, let your shining face be seen.
2 Stand up, judge of the earth, and pay back those who are proud what they deserve.
Be lifted up, O judge of the earth; let their reward come to the men of pride.
3 How long, Lord? How long will the wicked celebrate in triumph?
How long will sinners, O Lord, how long will sinners have joy over us?
4 How long will you let them pour out their arrogant words? How long will these evil people go on boasting?
Words of pride come from their lips; all the workers of evil say great things of themselves.
5 Lord, they crush your people; they oppress those you call your own.
Your people are crushed by them, O Lord, your heritage is troubled,
6 They kill widows and foreigners; they murder orphans.
They put to death the widow and the guest, they take the lives of children who have no father;
7 They say, “The Lord can't see what we're doing. Israel's God doesn't pay any attention to us.”
And they say, Jah will not see it, the God of Jacob will not give thought to it.
8 Take another look, you stupid people! Fools—when will you ever get the point?
Give your mind to my words, you who are without wisdom among the people; you foolish men, when will you be wise?
9 Do you think the creator of the ear can't hear? Do you think the maker of the eye can't see?
Has he by whom your ears were planted no hearing? or is he blind by whom your eyes were formed?
10 Do you think that the one who punishes nations won't punish you too? Do you think that the one who teaches human beings knowledge doesn't know anything?
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?
11 The Lord knows the thoughts of human beings—he knows they are pointless.
The Lord has knowledge of the thoughts of man, for they are only a breath.
12 Those you discipline are happy, Lord; those you teach from your Law.
Happy is the man who is guided by you, O Jah, and to whom you give teaching out of your law;
13 You give them peace in days of trouble, until a pit is dug to trap the wicked.
So that you may give him rest from the days of evil, till a hole is made ready for the destruction of the sinners.
14 For the Lord will not give up on his people; he will not abandon his own.
The Lord will not give up his people, or take away his support from his heritage;
15 Justice will once again be based on what is right; those who are sincere will support it.
But decisions will again be made in righteousness; and they will be kept by all whose hearts are true.
16 Who came to my defense against the wicked; who stood up for me against those who do evil?
Who will give me help against the sinners? and who will be my support against the workers of evil?
17 If the Lord hadn't helped me, I would have soon gone down into the silence of the grave.
If the Lord had not been my helper, my soul would quickly have gone down into death.
18 I shouted out, “My foot's slipping!” and your trustworthy love, Lord, kept me from falling.
If I say, My foot is slipping; your mercy, O Lord, is my support.
19 When my mind was full of worries, you comforted me and encouraged me.
Among all my troubled thoughts, your comforts are the delight of my soul.
20 Can unjust judges really be on your side, Lord, when their corrupt use of the law causes misery?
What part with you has the seat of sin, which makes evil into a law?
21 They work together to destroy good people; they condemn those who are innocent to death.
They are banded together against the soul of the upright, to give decisions against those who have done no wrong.
22 But the Lord protects me like a fortress; my God is the rock that keeps me safe.
But the Lord is my safe resting-place; my God is the Rock where I am safe.
23 He will turn the wickedness of evil people back upon them; he will destroy them because of their sins; the Lord our God will destroy them.
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.
