Psalm 9-10

International Standard Version

³ When my enemies turn back,
    they will stumble and perish before you.
⁴ For you have brought about justice for me and my cause;
    you sit on the throne judging righteously.
⁵ You rebuked the nations,
    you destroyed the wicked,
        you wiped out their name forever and ever.
⁶ The enemy has perished,
    reduced to ruins forever.
You uprooted their cities,
    the very memory of them vanished.

⁷ But the Lord sits on his throne^[c] forever;
    his throne is established for judgment.
⁸ He will judge the world righteously
    and make just decisions for the people.

⁹ The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed,
    a refuge in times of distress.
¹⁰ Those who know your name will trust you,
    for you have not forsaken those who seek you, Lord.

¹¹ Sing praises to the Lord who dwells in Zion;
    declare his mighty deeds among the peoples.
¹² As an avenger of blood, he remembers them;
    he has not forgotten the cry of the afflicted.

¹³ Be gracious to me, Lord,
    take note of my affliction,
        because of those who hate me.
You snatch me away from the gates of death,
¹⁴ so I may declare everything for which you should be praised^[d]
in the gates of the daughter of Zion,^[e]
    so I will rejoice in your deliverance.

¹⁵ The nations have sunk down into the pit they made,
    their feet are ensnared in the trap^[f] they set.
¹⁶ The Lord has made himself known,
    executing judgment.
The wicked are ensnared
    by what their hands have made.
Interlude^[g]

¹⁷ The wicked will turn back to where the dead are^[h]—
    all the nations that have forgotten God.
¹⁸ For he will not always overlook the plight of the poor,
    nor will the hope of the afflicted perish forever.
¹⁹ Rise up, Lord,
    do not let man prevail!
        The nations will be judged in your presence.
²⁰ Make them afraid, Lord,
    Let the nations know that they are only human.^[i]
Interlude

Your judgments are on high,
        far away from them.

They scoff at all their enemies.
⁶ They say to themselves,
    “We will not be moved throughout all time,
        and we will not experience adversity.”
⁷ Their mouth is full of curses, lies, and oppression,
    their tongues^[m] spread trouble and iniquity.
⁸ They wait^[n] in ambush in the villages,
    they kill the innocent in secret.
⁹ Their eyes secretly watch the helpless,
    lying in wait like a lion in his den.
They lie in wait to catch the afflicted.
    They catch the afflicted when they pull him into their net.

¹⁰ The victim^[o] is crushed,
    and he sinks down;
        the helpless fall by their might.
¹¹ The wicked say to themselves,
    “God has forgotten,
he has hidden his face,
    he will never see it.”

¹² Rise up, Lord!
    Raise your hand, God.
        Don’t forget the afflicted!
¹³ Why do the wicked despise God
    and say to themselves, “God^[p] will not seek justice.”?^[q]

¹⁴ But you do see!
    You take note of trouble and grief
        in order to take the matter into your own hand.
The helpless one commits himself^[r] to you;
    you have been the orphan’s helper.

¹⁵ Break the arm of the wicked and evil man;
    so that when you seek out his wickedness
        you will find it no more.
¹⁶ The Lord is king forever and ever;
    nations will perish from his land.

¹⁷ Lord, you heard the desire of the afflicted;
    you will strengthen them,^[s]
        you will listen carefully,
¹⁸ to do justice for the orphan^[t] and the oppressed,
    so that men of the earth may cause terror no more.