Psalms 94

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

Lord, God of vengeance, God of vengeance, shine forth.

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

Rise up, judge of the earth, pay back the proud what they deserve.

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

Lord, how long shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked exult,

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

with their blustering arrogant words, their braggart and wicked speech,

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

crushing your people, Lord, and afflicting your heritage,

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

murdering widows and strangers, slaying the fatherless?

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

They think that the Lord does not see, nor the God of Jacob regard it.

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

Take heed, you dullest of people; when will you be wise, you fools?

9 He who implanted the ear, will not he hear? He who formed the eye, will not he see?

Is he deaf, who shaped the ear? Is he blind, who fashioned the eye?

10 He who disciplines the nations, will not he punish? He who teaches man knows.

Can he who trains nations not punish them he who teaches knowledge to people?

11 The LORD knows the thoughts of man, that they are futile.

The Lord knows the thoughts of people, that only a breath are they.

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

Happy are those whom you chasten, and teach out of your law,

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

keeping them calm in the day of misfortune, till a pit be dug for the wicked.

14 For the LORD will not reject his people, neither will he forsake his inheritance.

For the Lord will not leave his people, he will not forsake his inheritance.

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

For the righteous shall come to their rights, and all true-hearted people shall follow them.

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

Who will rise up for me against those who do evil? Who will stand up for me against workers of wrong?

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

Were it not for the help of the Lord, I would soon have gone to the silent grave.

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

When I thought that my foot was slipping, your kindness, Lord, held me up.

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

When with cares my heart was crowded, your comforts make me glad.

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

Can corrupt justice be your ally, framing mischief by statute?

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

They assail the life of the righteous, and innocent blood condemn.

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

But the Lord is my sure retreat, my God is the rock of my refuge.

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

He will bring back their sin upon them, for their wickedness he will destroy them; the Lord our God will destroy them.