Psalms 94
1 The Lord is a God of vengeance! God of vengeance, shine out!
O GOD of avenging—Yahweh, GOD of avenging, shine forth:
2 Stand up, judge of the earth, and pay back those who are proud what they deserve.
Lift up thyself, O judge of the earth, Render a recompense unto the proud.
3 How long, Lord? How long will the wicked celebrate in triumph?
How long shall the lawless, O Yahweh, How long shall the lawless exult?
4 How long will you let them pour out their arrogant words? How long will these evil people go on boasting?
They pour forth [words], they speak arrogantly, All the workers of iniquity, do boast:
5 Lord, they crush your people; they oppress those you call your own.
Thy people, O Yahweh, they will crush, And, thine inheritance, tread down;
6 They kill widows and foreigners; they murder orphans.
The widow and sojourner, they will slay, And, the fatherless, murder.
7 They say, “The Lord can't see what we're doing. Israel's God doesn't pay any attention to us.”
Yet have they said—Yah, doth not see, The God of Jacob, doth not understand.
8 Take another look, you stupid people! Fools—when will you ever get the point?
Understand, ye brutish among the people, And, ye dullards, when will ye show discretion?
9 Do you think the creator of the ear can't hear? Do you think the maker of the eye can't see?
He that planteth the ear, shall he not hear? Or, that fashioneth the eye, shall he not have power to see?
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 that correcteth nations, shall he not reprove? He that teacheth man knowledge!
11 The Lord knows the thoughts of human beings—he knows they are pointless.
Yahweh, knoweth the plans of men, That, they, are a breath!
12 Those you discipline are happy, Lord; those you teach from your Law.
How happy the man whom thou correctest, O Yah! And whom, out of thy law, thou instructest!
13 You give them peace in days of trouble, until a pit is dug to trap the wicked.
That thou mayest give him rest from the days of misfortune, Until there be digged—for the lawless one—a pit.
14 For the Lord will not give up on his people; he will not abandon his own.
For Yahweh, will not abandon, his people, And, his inheritance, will he not forsake;
15 Justice will once again be based on what is right; those who are sincere will support it.
For, unto righteousness, shall the judicial sentence return, Then shall follow it—all the upright in heart.
16 Who came to my defense against the wicked; who stood up for me against those who do evil?
Who will rise up for me, against the evil-doers? Who will make a stand for me, against the workers of iniquity?
17 If the Lord hadn't helped me, I would have soon gone down into the silence of the grave.
If, Yahweh, had not been a help to me, Soon had sunk into silence—my soul!
18 I shouted out, “My foot's slipping!” and your trustworthy love, Lord, kept me from falling.
If I say, My foot, hath slipped, Thy lovingkindness, O Yahweh, supporteth me.
19 When my mind was full of worries, you comforted me and encouraged me.
In the multitude of my cares within me, Thy consolations, delight my soul.
20 Can unjust judges really be on your side, Lord, when their corrupt use of the law causes misery?
Shall the throne that inflicteth ruin, have fellowship with thee, That frameth oppression, by statute?
21 They work together to destroy good people; they condemn those who are innocent to death.
They make an attack on the life of the righteous one, —And, innocent blood, they condemn.
22 But the Lord protects me like a fortress; my God is the rock that keeps me safe.
But, Yahweh, hath become for me a high tower, And my God, my rock of refuge.
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.
Thus hath he brought back on them their iniquity, And, by their own wickedness, will he destroy them, Destroy them, will Yahweh our God.
