< Psalms 94 >
1 O GOD of avenging—Yahweh, GOD of avenging, shine forth:
The Lord is the God to whom revenge belongeth: the God of revenge hath acted freely.
2 Lift up thyself, O judge of the earth, Render a recompense unto the proud.
Lift up thyself, 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 glory?
4 They pour forth [words], they speak arrogantly, All the workers of iniquity, do boast:
Shall they utter, and speak iniquity: shall all speak who work injustice?
5 Thy people, O Yahweh, they will crush, And, thine inheritance, tread down;
Thy people, O Lord, they have brought low: and they have afflicted thy inheritance.
6 The widow and sojourner, they will slay, And, the fatherless, murder.
They have slain the widow and the stranger: and they have murdered the fatherless.
7 Yet have they said—Yah, doth not see, The God of Jacob, doth not understand.
And they have 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, ye senseless among the people: and, you fools, be wise at last.
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, shall he not hear? or he that formed the eye, doth he not consider?
10 He that correcteth nations, shall he not reprove? He that teacheth man knowledge!
He that chastiseth nations, shall he not rebuke: he that teacheth man knowledge?
11 Yahweh, knoweth the plans of men, That, they, are a breath!
The Lord knoweth 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 whom thou shalt instruct, 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.
That thou mayst give him rest from the evil days: till a pit be dug for the wicked.
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 own inheritance.
15 For, unto righteousness, shall the judicial sentence return, Then shall follow it—all the upright in heart.
Until justice be turned into judgment: and they that are near it are all the upright in 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 shall rise up for me against the evildoers? or who shall 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!
Unless the Lord had been my helper, my soul had almost dwelt in hell. ()
18 If I say, My foot, hath slipped, Thy lovingkindness, O Yahweh, supporteth me.
If I said: My foot is moved: thy 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, thy comforts have given joy to my soul.
20 Shall the throne that inflicteth ruin, have fellowship with thee, That frameth oppression, by statute?
Doth the seat of iniquity stick to thee, who framest labour in commandment?
21 They make an attack on the life of the righteous one, —And, innocent blood, they condemn.
They will hunt after the soul of the just, and will condemn innocent blood.
22 But, Yahweh, hath become for me a high tower, And my God, my rock of refuge.
But the Lord is my refuge: and my God the help 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 render them their iniquity: and in their malice he will destroy them: the Lord our God will destroy them.