Psalms 94
1 O LORD! thou God of vengeance! O thou God of vengeance! shine forth!
Yahweh, you are able to get revenge [on your enemies]. [So] show them that you are going to punish them!
2 Rouse thyself, thou judge of the earth! Render a recompense to the proud!
You are the one who judges all [people on] the earth; [so] arise, and give/punish the proud [leaders of our] people like they deserve.
3 How long, O LORD! shall the wicked, How long shall the wicked triumph?
Yahweh, how long will those wicked [people] be glad/happy? It is not right that [RHQ] they continue being glad!
4 How long shall their lips pour forth insolence? How long shall all the evil-doers boast?
They do evil things, and they boast about doing them; how long will they [be allowed to] continue doing that?
5 O LORD! they trample upon thy people, And oppress thine inheritance!
Yahweh, [it is as though] those wicked people crush [us], your people; they (oppress/treat cruelly) those who belong to you [DOU].
6 They slay the widow, and the stranger, And murder the fatherless;
They murder widows and orphans and people from other countries who [think it is safe to] live in our land.
7 And they say, “The LORD doth not see, The God of Jacob doth not regard!”
Those wicked people say, “Yahweh does not see anything; [so] the God whom those Israelis [worship] does not see [the evil things that we do].”
8 Be instructed, ye most stupid of mankind! O when, ye fools, will ye be wise?
You evil people [who rule Israel], you are foolish and stupid; when will you become wise [RHQ]?
9 He that planted the ear, shall he not hear? He that formed the eye, shall he not see?
God made our ears; so [do you think that] he cannot hear [what you say] [RHQ]? He created our eyes; so do you think that he cannot see [the evil things that you do] [RHQ]?
10 He that chastiseth nations, shall not he punish? He that teacheth man knowledge, shall not he know?
He also scolds [the leaders of other] nations; so do you think that he will not punish [you] [RHQ]? He is the one who knows everything; [so why do you think that he does not know what you do] [RHQ]?
11 The LORD knoweth the thoughts of men, That they are vanity.
Yahweh knows [everything] that people are thinking; he knows that what they think ([is useless/vanishes as quickly as]) smoke [MET].
12 Happy the man, O LORD! whom thou correctest, Whom by thy teaching thou makest wise;
Yahweh, you are pleased with people who [want you to] discipline/correct them, those who [want you to] teach them your laws.
13 To give him peace in the days of adversity, Until a pit be digged for the wicked!
When those people have had troubles, you cause those troubles to cease, and some day [it will be as though] you will dig pits for wicked people, and they will fall into those pits [and die].
14 For the LORD will not forsake his people, Nor abandon his own inheritance.
Yahweh will not abandon his people; he will not desert like that those who belong to him [DOU].
15 For judgment shall return to justice, And all the upright in heart shall follow it.
[Some day] judges will decide matters fairly for people, and all honest/righteous people will be pleased about that.
16 Who will rise up for me against the wicked? Who will stand up for me against the evil-doers?
But when wicked [people] ([oppressed me/treated me cruelly]), (who defended me?/no one defended me.) [RHQ] No one stood up to testify for me against those evil people [RHQ].
17 If the LORD had not been my help, I had well nigh dwelt in the land of silence.
If Yahweh had not helped me [at that time], [I would have been executed], [and] my soul/spirit would have gone to the place where [dead people] say nothing.
18 When I think that my foot is slipping, Thy goodness, O LORD! holdeth me up.
I said/thought [to myself], “I am about to die,” but Yahweh, you held me up by faithfully loving me.
19 In the multitude of anxieties within me, Thy consolations revive my soul.
Whenever I am very worried, you comfort/encourage me and cause me to be happy.
20 Shall with thee be allied the throne of iniquity, Which deviseth mischief against law?
You have nothing to do with wicked judges, who establish laws that allow people to do what is not legal.
21 They band together against the life of the righteous, And condemn innocent blood.
They plan to get rid of righteous [people], and they declare that (innocent people/people who have not done what is wrong) must be executed.
22 But the LORD is my fortress, And my God the rock of my refuge.
But Yahweh (has become [like] my fortress/protects me) [MET]; my God is [like a huge] rock under which I am protected/safe [MET].
23 He will bring upon them their own iniquity; Yea, through their own wickedness he will cut them off; Yea, the LORD, our God, will cut them off.
He will punish those wicked leaders in return for the wicked things that they have done, and will get rid of them for the sins that they have committed; [yes], Yahweh our God will (wipe them out/destroy them completely).
