Psalms 94

1 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.

God of vengeance — Jehovah! God of vengeance, shine forth.

2 Be thou exalted, thou that judgest the earth: render a reward to the proud.

Be lifted up, O Judge of the earth, Send back a recompence on the proud.

3 How long shall sinners, O Lord, how long shall sinners boast?

Till when [do] the wicked, O Jehovah? Till when do the wicked exult?

4 They will utter and speak unrighteousness; all the workers of iniquity will speak [so].

They utter — they speak an old saw, All working iniquity do boast themselves.

5 They have afflicted thy people, O Lord, and hurt thine heritage.

Thy people, O Jehovah, they bruise, And Thine inheritance they afflict.

6 They have slain the widow and fatherless, and murdered the stranger.

Widow and sojourner they slay, And fatherless ones they murder.

7 And they said, The Lord shall not see, neither shall the God of Jacob understand.

And they say, 'Jehovah doth not see, And the God of Jacob doth not consider.'

8 Understand now, ye simple among the people; and ye fools, at length be wise.

Consider, ye brutish among the people, And ye foolish, when do ye act wisely?

9 He that planted the ear, does he not hear? or he that formed the eye, does not he perceive?

He who planteth the ear doth He not hear? He who formeth the eye doth He not see?

10 He that chastises the heathen, shall not he punish, [even] he that teaches man knowledge?

He who is instructing nations, Doth He not reprove? He who is teaching man knowledge [is] Jehovah.

11 The Lord knows the thoughts of men, that they are vain.

He knoweth the thoughts of man, that they [are] vanity.

12 Blessed is the man whomsoever thou shalt chasten, O Lord, and shalt teach him out of thy law;

O the happiness of the man Whom Thou instructest, O Jah, And out of Thy law teachest him,

13 to give him rest from evil days, until a pit be digged for the sinful one.

To give rest to him from days of evil, While a pit is digged for the wicked.

14 For the Lord will not cast off his people, neither will he forsake his inheritance;

For Jehovah leaveth not His people, And His inheritance forsaketh not.

15 until righteousness return to judgment, and all the upright in heart shall follow it. (Pause)

For to righteousness judgment turneth back, And after it all the upright of heart,

16 Who will rise up for me against the transgressors? or who will stand up with me against the workers of iniquity?

Who riseth up for me with evil doers? Who stationeth himself for me with workers of iniquity?

17 If the Lord had not helped me, my soul had almost sojourned in Hades.

Unless Jehovah [were] a help to me, My soul had almost inhabited silence.

18 If I said, My foot has been moved;

If I have said, 'My foot hath slipped,' Thy kindness, O Jehovah, supporteth me.

19 thy mercy, O Lord, helped me. O Lord, according to the multitude of my griefs within my heart, thy consolation have soothed my soul.

In the abundance of my thoughts within me, Thy comforts delight my soul.

20 Shall the throne of iniquity have fellowship with thee, which frames mischief by an ordinance?

Is a throne of mischief joined [with] Thee? A framer of perverseness by statute?

21 They will hunt for the soul of the righteous, and condemn innocent blood.

They decree against the soul of the righteous, And innocent blood declare wicked.

22 But the Lord was my refuge; and my God the helper of my hope.

And Jehovah is for a high place to me, And my God [is] for a rock — my refuge,

23 And he will recompense to them their iniquity and their wickedness: the Lord our God shall utterly destroy them.

And turneth back on them their iniquity, And in their wickedness cutteth them off; Jehovah our God doth cut them off!