Psalms 94

1 Yahweh, you are able to get revenge [on your enemies]. [So] show them that you are going to punish them!

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

2 You are the one who judges all [people on] the earth; [so] arise, and give/punish the proud [leaders of our] people like they deserve.

Be lifted up, judging the earth, Send back a repayment on the proud.

3 Yahweh, how long will those wicked [people] be glad/happy? It is not right that [RHQ] they continue being glad!

Until when do the wicked, O YHWH—Until when do the wicked exult?

4 They do evil things, and they boast about doing them; how long will they [be allowed to] continue doing that?

They utter—they speak arrogance, All working iniquity boast [about] themselves.

5 Yahweh, [it is as though] those wicked people crush [us], your people; they (oppress/treat cruelly) those who belong to you [DOU].

Your people, O YHWH, they bruise, And they afflict Your inheritance.

6 They murder widows and orphans and people from other countries who [think it is safe to] live in our land.

They slay widow and sojourner, And they murder fatherless ones.

7 Those wicked people say, “Yahweh does not see anything; [so] the God whom those Israelis [worship] does not see [the evil things that we do].”

And they say, “YAH does not see, And the God of Jacob does not consider.”

8 You evil people [who rule Israel], you are foolish and stupid; when will you become wise [RHQ]?

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

9 God made our ears; so [do you think that] he cannot hear [what you say] [RHQ]? He created our eyes; so do you think that he cannot see [the evil things that you do] [RHQ]?

He who plants the ear, does He not hear? He who forms the eye, does He not see?

10 He also scolds [the leaders of other] nations; so do you think that he will not punish [you] [RHQ]? He is the one who knows everything; [so why do you think that he does not know what you do] [RHQ]?

He who is instructing nations, does He not reprove? He who is teaching man knowledge [is] YHWH.

11 Yahweh knows [everything] that people are thinking; he knows that what they think ([is useless/vanishes as quickly as]) smoke [MET].

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

12 Yahweh, you are pleased with people who [want you to] discipline/correct them, those who [want you to] teach them your laws.

O the blessedness of the man Whom You instruct, O YAH, And teach him out of Your law,

13 When those people have had troubles, you cause those troubles to cease, and some day [it will be as though] you will dig pits for wicked people, and they will fall into those pits [and die].

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

14 Yahweh will not abandon his people; he will not desert like that those who belong to him [DOU].

For YHWH does not leave His people, And does not forsake His inheritance.

15 [Some day] judges will decide matters fairly for people, and all honest/righteous people will be pleased about that.

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

16 But when wicked [people] ([oppressed me/treated me cruelly]), (who defended me?/no one defended me.) [RHQ] No one stood up to testify for me against those evil people [RHQ].

Who rises up for me with evildoers? Who stations himself for me with workers of iniquity?

17 If Yahweh had not helped me [at that time], [I would have been executed], [and] my soul/spirit would have gone to the place where [dead people] say nothing.

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

18 I said/thought [to myself], “I am about to die,” but Yahweh, you held me up by faithfully loving me.

If I have said, “My foot has slipped,” Your kindness, O YHWH, supports me.

19 Whenever I am very worried, you comfort/encourage me and cause me to be happy.

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

20 You have nothing to do with wicked judges, who establish laws that allow people to do what is not legal.

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

21 They plan to get rid of righteous [people], and they declare that (innocent people/people who have not done what is wrong) must be executed.

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

22 But Yahweh (has become [like] my fortress/protects me) [MET]; my God is [like a huge] rock under which I am protected/safe [MET].

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

23 He will punish those wicked leaders in return for the wicked things that they have done, and will get rid of them for the sins that they have committed; [yes], Yahweh our God will (wipe them out/destroy them completely).

And He turns back their iniquity on them, And in their wickedness cuts them off; Our God YHWH cuts them off!