Psalms 94
1 O GOD of avenging—Yahweh, GOD of avenging, shine forth:
The Lord is a God of vengeance! God of vengeance, shine out!
2 Lift up thyself, O judge of the earth, Render a recompense unto the proud.
Stand up, judge of the earth, and pay back those who are proud what they deserve.
3 How long shall the lawless, O Yahweh, How long shall the lawless exult?
How long, Lord? How long will the wicked celebrate in triumph?
4 They pour forth [words], they speak arrogantly, All the workers of iniquity, do boast:
How long will you let them pour out their arrogant words? How long will these evil people go on boasting?
5 Thy people, O Yahweh, they will crush, And, thine inheritance, tread down;
Lord, they crush your people; they oppress those you call your own.
6 The widow and sojourner, they will slay, And, the fatherless, murder.
They kill widows and foreigners; they murder orphans.
7 Yet have they said—Yah, doth not see, The God of Jacob, doth not understand.
They say, “The Lord can't see what we're doing. Israel's God doesn't pay any attention to us.”
8 Understand, ye brutish among the people, And, ye dullards, when will ye show discretion?
Take another look, you stupid people! Fools—when will you ever get the point?
9 He that planteth the ear, shall he not hear? Or, that fashioneth the eye, shall he not have power to 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 correcteth nations, shall he not reprove? 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 Yahweh, knoweth the plans of men, That, they, are a breath!
The Lord knows the thoughts of human beings—he knows they are pointless.
12 How happy the man whom thou correctest, O Yah! And whom, out of thy law, thou instructest!
Those you discipline are happy, Lord; those you teach 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.
You give them peace in days of trouble, until a pit is dug to trap the wicked.
14 For Yahweh, will not abandon, his people, And, his inheritance, will he not forsake;
For the Lord will not give up on his people; he will not abandon his own.
15 For, unto righteousness, shall the judicial sentence return, Then shall follow it—all the upright in heart.
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 make a stand 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 If, Yahweh, had not been a help to me, Soon had sunk into silence—my soul!
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, hath slipped, Thy lovingkindness, O Yahweh, supporteth me.
I shouted out, “My foot's slipping!” and your trustworthy love, Lord, kept me from falling.
19 In the multitude of my cares within me, Thy consolations, delight my soul.
When my mind was full of worries, you comforted me and encouraged me.
20 Shall the throne that inflicteth ruin, have fellowship with thee, That frameth oppression, by statute?
Can unjust judges really be on your side, Lord, when their corrupt use of the law causes misery?
21 They make an attack on the life of the righteous one, —And, innocent blood, they condemn.
They work together to destroy good people; they condemn those who are innocent to death.
22 But, Yahweh, hath become for me a high tower, And my God, my rock of refuge.
But the Lord protects me like a fortress; my God is the rock that keeps me safe.
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.
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.
