Psalms 94
1 O GOD of avenging—Yahweh, GOD of avenging, shine forth:
A Psalm of David himself. The Fourth Sabbath. The Lord is the God of retribution. The God of retribution acts in order to deliver.
2 Lift up thyself, O judge of the earth, Render a recompense unto the proud.
Lift yourself up, for you judge the earth. Repay the arrogant with retribution.
3 How long shall the lawless, O Yahweh, How long shall the lawless exult?
How long will sinners, O Lord, how long will sinners glory?
4 They pour forth [words], they speak arrogantly, All the workers of iniquity, do boast:
How long will they utter and speak iniquity? How long will all who work injustice speak out?
5 Thy people, O Yahweh, they will crush, And, thine inheritance, tread down;
They have humiliated your people, O Lord, and they have harassed your inheritance.
6 The widow and sojourner, they will slay, And, the fatherless, murder.
They have executed the widow and the new arrival, and they have slaughtered the orphan.
7 Yet have they said—Yah, doth not see, The God of Jacob, doth not understand.
And they have said, “The Lord will not see, nor will the God of Jacob understand.”
8 Understand, ye brutish among the people, And, ye dullards, when will ye show discretion?
Understand, you senseless ones among the people. And be wise at last, you foolish ones.
9 He that planteth the ear, shall he not hear? Or, that fashioneth the eye, shall he not have power to see?
He who formed the ear, will he not hear? And he who forged the eye, does he not look closely?
10 He that correcteth nations, shall he not reprove? He that teacheth man knowledge!
He who chastises nations, he who teaches man knowledge, will he not rebuke?
11 Yahweh, knoweth the plans of men, That, they, are a breath!
The Lord knows the thoughts of men: that these are in vain.
12 How happy the man whom thou correctest, O Yah! And whom, out of thy law, thou instructest!
Blessed is the man whom you will instruct, O Lord. And you will teach him from your law.
13 That thou mayest give him rest from the days of misfortune, Until there be digged—for the lawless one—a pit.
So may you soothe him from the evil days, until a pit may be dug for sinners.
14 For Yahweh, will not abandon, his people, And, his inheritance, will he not forsake;
For the Lord will not drive away his people, and he will not abandon his inheritance,
15 For, unto righteousness, shall the judicial sentence return, Then shall follow it—all the upright in heart.
even until the time when justice is being converted into judgment, and when those who are close to justice are all those who are upright of heart.
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 with me against the malignant? Or who will stand with me against the workers of iniquity?
17 If, Yahweh, had not been a help to me, Soon had sunk into silence—my soul!
Except that the Lord assisted me, my soul almost would have dwelt in Hell. (questioned)
18 If I say, My foot, hath slipped, Thy lovingkindness, O Yahweh, supporteth me.
If ever I said, “My foot is slipping,” then your mercy, O Lord, assisted me.
19 In the multitude of my cares within me, Thy consolations, delight my soul.
According to the multitude of my sorrows in my heart, your consolations have given joy to my soul.
20 Shall the throne that inflicteth ruin, have fellowship with thee, That frameth oppression, by statute?
Does the seat of iniquity adhere to you, you who contrive hardship within a commandment?
21 They make an attack on the life of the righteous one, —And, innocent blood, they condemn.
They will hunt down the soul of the just, and they will condemn innocent blood.
22 But, Yahweh, hath become for me a high tower, And my God, my rock of refuge.
And the Lord has been made into a refuge for me, and my God into the assistance 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 repay them their iniquity, and he will destroy them in their malice. The Lord our God will utterly destroy them.
