Psalm 94
God, Judge, and Avenger
1 O Lord, you are an avenging God;
shine forth, O God of vengeance.
2 Rise up, O judge of the earth;
repay the arrogant as they deserve.
3 O Lord, how long will the wicked,
how long will the wicked be triumphant?
4 Their mouths pour forth their arrogant words
as these evildoers never cease to boast.
5 They crush your people, O Lord,
and they oppress your heritage.
6 They slay the widow and the foreigner
and put the orphan to death.
7 They say, “The Lord does not see;
the God of Jacob pays no attention.”
8 Try to comprehend, you senseless people.
You fools, when will you gain some wisdom?
9 Does the one who made the ear not hear?
Does the one who fashioned the eye not see?
10 Does the one who guides the nations not punish?
Does the one who instructs people lack knowledge?
11 The Lord is well aware of our thoughts
and how foolish they are.
12 Blessed is the man you admonish, O Lord,
the man you teach by means of your law,
13 giving him respite in times of misfortune
until a pit is dug for the wicked.
14 For the Lord will not abandon his people
or forsake his heritage.
15 Judgment will again be based on righteousness,
and all the upright in heart will uphold it.
16 Who will stand up for me against the wicked?
Who will defend me against evildoers?
17 If the Lord had not come to my aid,
I would long ago have been consigned to the kingdom of silence.
18 When I realized that my foot was slipping,
your kindness, O Lord, raised me up.
19 When my anxious thoughts multiplied,
your comfort filled my soul with joy.
20 Can evil rulers have you as an ally,
those who make use of the law to oppress the helpless?
21 They conspire against the righteous
and condemn the innocent to death.
22 But the Lord has been my stronghold,
my God, the rock in whom I find refuge.
23 He will repay the wicked for their iniquity
and destroy them for their evil deeds;
the Lord, our God, will destroy them.
Footnotes
- Psalm 94:1
- Psalm 94:1
- Psalm 94:2
- Psalm 94:3
- Psalm 94:4
- Psalm 94:7
- Psalm 94:8
- Psalm 94:8
- Psalm 94:9
- Psalm 94:10
- Psalm 94:11
- Psalm 94:12
- Psalm 94:12
- Psalm 94:14
- Psalm 94:15
- Psalm 94:16
- Psalm 94:17
- Psalm 94:18
- Psalm 94:19
- Psalm 94:20
- Psalm 94:20
- Psalm 94:21
- Psalm 94:22
