Psalms 94
1 O LORD, Thou God to whom vengeance belongeth, Thou God to whom vengeance belongeth, shine forth.
The Lord is a God of vengeance! God of vengeance, shine out!
2 Lift up Thyself, Thou Judge of the earth; render to the proud their recompense.
Stand up, judge of the earth, and pay back those who are proud what they deserve.
3 LORD, how long shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked exult?
How long, Lord? How long will the wicked celebrate in triumph?
4 They gush out, they speak arrogancy; all the workers of iniquity bear themselves loftily.
How long will you let them pour out their arrogant words? How long will these evil people go on boasting?
5 They crush Thy people, O LORD, and afflict Thy heritage.
Lord, they crush your people; they oppress those you call your own.
6 They slay the widow and the stranger, and murder the fatherless.
They kill widows and foreigners; they murder orphans.
7 And they say: 'The LORD will not see, neither will the God of Jacob give heed.'
They say, “The Lord can't see what we're doing. Israel's God doesn't pay any attention to us.”
8 Consider, ye brutish among the people; and ye fools, when will ye understand?
Take another look, you stupid people! Fools—when will you ever get the point?
9 He that planted the ear, shall He not hear? He that formed the eye, shall He not see?
Do you think the creator of the ear can't hear? Do you think the maker of the eye can't see?
10 He that instructeth nations, shall not He correct? even He that teacheth man knowledge?
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?
11 The LORD knoweth the thoughts of man, that they are vanity.
The Lord knows the thoughts of human beings—he knows they are pointless.
12 Happy is the man whom Thou instructest, O LORD, and teachest out of Thy law;
Those you discipline are happy, Lord; those you teach from your Law.
13 That Thou mayest give him rest from the days of evil, until the pit be digged for the wicked.
You give them peace in days of trouble, until a pit is dug to trap the wicked.
14 For the LORD will not cast off His people, neither will He forsake His inheritance.
For the Lord will not give up on his people; he will not abandon his own.
15 For right shall return unto justice, and all the upright in heart shall follow it.
Justice will once again be based on what is right; those who are sincere will support it.
16 Who will rise up for me against the evil-doers? Who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity?
Who came to my defense against the wicked; who stood up for me against those who do evil?
17 Unless the LORD had been my help, my soul had soon dwelt in silence.
If the Lord hadn't helped me, I would have soon gone down into the silence of the grave.
18 If I say: 'My foot slippeth', Thy mercy, O LORD, holdeth me up.
I shouted out, “My foot's slipping!” and your trustworthy love, Lord, kept me from falling.
19 When my cares are many within me, Thy comforts delight my soul.
When my mind was full of worries, you comforted me and encouraged me.
20 Shall the seat of wickedness have fellowship with Thee, which frameth mischief by statute?
Can unjust judges really be on your side, Lord, when their corrupt use of the law causes misery?
21 They gather themselves together against the soul of the righteous, and condemn innocent blood.
They work together to destroy good people; they condemn those who are innocent to death.
22 But the LORD hath been my high tower, and my God the rock of my refuge.
But the Lord protects me like a fortress; my God is the rock that keeps me safe.
23 And He hath brought upon them their own iniquity, and will cut them off in their own evil; the LORD our God will cut them off.
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.
