Psalm 82
Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition
82 A canticle of a psalm for Asaph.
2 O God, who shall be like to thee? hold not thy peace, neither be thou still, O God.
3 For lo, thy enemies have made a noise: and they that hate thee have lifted up the head.
4 They have taken a malicious counsel against thy people, and have consulted against thy saints.
5 They have said: Come and let us destroy them, so that they be not a nation: and let the name of Israel be remembered no more.
6 For they have contrived with one consent: they have made a covenant together against thee,
7 The tabernacles of the Edomites, and the Ismahelites: Moab, and the Agarens,
8 Gebal, and Ammon and Amalec: the Philistines, with the inhabitants of Tyre.
9 Yea, and the Assyrian also is joined with them: they are come to the aid of the sons of Lot.
10 Do to them as thou didst to Madian and to Sisara: as to Jabin at the brook of Cisson.
11 Who perished at Endor: and became as dung for the earth.
12 Make their princes like Oreb, and Zeb, and Zebee, and Salmana. All their princes,
13 Who have said: Let us possess the sanctuary of God for an inheritance.
14 O my God, make them like a wheel; and as stubble before the wind.
15 As fire which burneth the wood: and as a flame burning mountains:
16 So shalt thou pursue them with thy tempest: and shalt trouble them in thy wrath.
17 Fill their faces with shame; and they shall seek thy name, O Lord.
18 Let them be ashamed and troubled for ever and ever: and let them be confounded and perish.
19 And let them know that the Lord is thy name: thou alone art the most High over all the earth.
Psalm 82
Easy-to-Read Version
One of Asaph’s songs of praise.
82 God stands in the assembly of the gods.[a]
He stands as judge among the judges.
2 He says, “How long will you judge unfairly
and show special favors to the wicked?” Selah
3 “Defend the poor and orphans.
Protect the rights of the poor.
4 Help those who are poor and helpless.
Save them from those who are evil.
5 “They[b] don’t know what is happening.
They don’t understand!
They don’t know what they are doing.
Their world is falling down around them!”
6 I, God Most High, say,
“You are gods,[c] my own sons.
7 But you will die as all people must die.
Your life will end like that of any ruler.”
8 Get up, God! You be the judge!
You be the leader over all the nations!
Footnotes
- Psalm 82:1 assembly of the gods Other nations taught that El (God) and the other gods met together to decide what to do with the people on earth. But many times kings and leaders were also called “gods.” So this psalm may be God’s warning to the leaders of Israel.
- Psalm 82:5 They This might mean that the poor don’t understand what is happening. Or it might mean that the “gods” or leaders don’t understand that they are ruining the world by not being fair and by not doing what is right.
- Psalm 82:6 gods Or “judges.”
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