Psalms 94

1 Yahweh, you God to whom vengeance belongs, you God to whom vengeance belongs, shine out.

The Lord is a God of vengeance! God of vengeance, shine out!

2 Rise up, you judge of the earth. Pay back the proud what they deserve.

Stand up, judge of the earth, and pay back those who are proud what they deserve.

3 Yahweh, how long will the wicked, how long will the wicked triumph?

How long, Lord? How long will the wicked celebrate in triumph?

4 They pour out arrogant words. All the evildoers boast.

How long will you let them pour out their arrogant words? How long will these evil people go on boasting?

5 They break your people in pieces, Yahweh, and afflict your heritage.

Lord, they crush your people; they oppress those you call your own.

6 They kill the widow and the alien, and murder the fatherless.

They kill widows and foreigners; they murder orphans.

7 They say, “Yah will not see, neither will Jacob’s God consider.”

They say, “The Lord can't see what we're doing. Israel's God doesn't pay any attention to us.”

8 Consider, you senseless among the people; you fools, when will you be wise?

Take another look, you stupid people! Fools—when will you ever get the point?

9 He who implanted the ear, won’t he hear? He who formed the eye, won’t he 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 who disciplines the nations, won’t he punish? He who teaches man knows.

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 knows the thoughts of man, that they are futile.

The Lord knows the thoughts of human beings—he knows they are pointless.

12 Blessed is the man whom you discipline, Yah, and teach out of your law,

Those you discipline are happy, Lord; those you teach from your Law.

13 that you may give him rest from the days of adversity, until the pit is dug for the wicked.

You give them peace in days of trouble, until a pit is dug to trap the wicked.

14 For Yahweh won’t reject his people, neither will he forsake his inheritance.

For the Lord will not give up on his people; he will not abandon his own.

15 For judgment will return to righteousness. All the upright in heart shall follow it.

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 wicked? Who will stand up for me against the evildoers?

Who came to my defense against the wicked; who stood up for me against those who do evil?

17 Unless Yahweh had been my help, my soul would have soon lived in silence.

If the Lord hadn't helped me, I would have soon gone down into the silence of the grave.

18 When I said, “My foot is slipping!” Your loving kindness, Yahweh, held me up.

I shouted out, “My foot's slipping!” and your trustworthy love, Lord, kept me from falling.

19 In the multitude of my thoughts within me, your comforts delight my soul.

When my mind was full of worries, you comforted me and encouraged me.

20 Shall the throne of wickedness have fellowship with you, which brings about mischief by statute?

Can unjust judges really be on your side, Lord, when their corrupt use of the law causes misery?

21 They gather themselves together against the soul of the righteous, and condemn the innocent blood.

They work together to destroy good people; they condemn those who are innocent to death.

22 But Yahweh has been my high tower, my God, the rock of my refuge.

But the Lord protects me like a fortress; my God is the rock that keeps me safe.

23 He has brought on them their own iniquity, and will cut them off in their own wickedness. Yahweh, our God, will cut them off.

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.