Psalms 94
1 O GOD of avenging—Yahweh, GOD of avenging, shine forth:
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 Lift up thyself, O judge of the earth, Render a recompense unto the proud.
Be thou exalted, thou that judgest the earth: render a reward to the proud.
3 How long shall the lawless, O Yahweh, How long shall the lawless exult?
How long shall sinners, O Lord, how long shall sinners boast?
4 They pour forth [words], they speak arrogantly, All the workers of iniquity, do boast:
They will utter and speak unrighteousness; all the workers of iniquity will speak [so].
5 Thy people, O Yahweh, they will crush, And, thine inheritance, tread down;
They have afflicted thy people, O Lord, and hurt thine heritage.
6 The widow and sojourner, they will slay, And, the fatherless, murder.
They have slain the widow and fatherless, and murdered the stranger.
7 Yet have they said—Yah, doth not see, The God of Jacob, doth not understand.
And they said, The Lord shall not see, neither shall the God of Jacob understand.
8 Understand, ye brutish among the people, And, ye dullards, when will ye show discretion?
Understand now, ye simple among the people; and ye fools, at length be wise.
9 He that planteth the ear, shall he not hear? Or, that fashioneth the eye, shall he not have power to see?
He that planted the ear, does he not hear? or he that formed the eye, does not he perceive?
10 He that correcteth nations, shall he not reprove? He that teacheth man knowledge!
He that chastises the heathen, shall not he punish, [even] he that teaches man knowledge?
11 Yahweh, knoweth the plans of men, That, they, are a breath!
The Lord knows the thoughts of men, that they are vain.
12 How happy the man whom thou correctest, O Yah! And whom, out of thy law, thou instructest!
Blessed is the man whomsoever thou shalt chasten, O Lord, and shalt teach him out of thy law;
13 That thou mayest give him rest from the days of misfortune, Until there be digged—for the lawless one—a pit.
to give him rest from evil days, until a pit be digged for the sinful one.
14 For Yahweh, will not abandon, his people, And, his inheritance, will he not forsake;
For the Lord will not cast off his people, neither will he forsake his inheritance;
15 For, unto righteousness, shall the judicial sentence return, Then shall follow it—all the upright in heart.
until righteousness return to judgment, and all the upright in heart shall follow it. (Pause)
16 Who will rise up for me, against the evil-doers? Who will make a stand for me, against the workers of iniquity?
Who will rise up for me against the transgressors? or who will stand up with me against the workers of iniquity?
17 If, Yahweh, had not been a help to me, Soon had sunk into silence—my soul!
If the Lord had not helped me, my soul had almost sojourned in Hades.
18 If I say, My foot, hath slipped, Thy lovingkindness, O Yahweh, supporteth me.
If I said, My foot has been moved;
19 In the multitude of my cares within me, Thy consolations, delight my soul.
thy mercy, O Lord, helped me. O Lord, according to the multitude of my griefs within my heart, thy consolation have soothed my soul.
20 Shall the throne that inflicteth ruin, have fellowship with thee, That frameth oppression, by statute?
Shall the throne of iniquity have fellowship with thee, which frames mischief by an ordinance?
21 They make an attack on the life of the righteous one, —And, innocent blood, they condemn.
They will hunt for the soul of the righteous, and condemn innocent blood.
22 But, Yahweh, hath become for me a high tower, And my God, my rock of refuge.
But the Lord was my refuge; and my God the helper of my hope.
23 Thus hath he brought back on them their iniquity, And, by their own wickedness, will he destroy them, Destroy them, will Yahweh our God.
And he will recompense to them their iniquity and their wickedness: the Lord our God shall utterly destroy them.
