Psalm 94
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Psalm 94
God the Avenger of the Righteous
1 O Lord, you God of vengeance,
you God of vengeance, shine forth!(A)
2 Rise up, O judge of the earth;
give to the proud what they deserve!(B)
3 O Lord, how long shall the wicked,
how long shall the wicked exult?(C)
4 They pour out their arrogant words;
all the evildoers boast.(D)
5 They crush your people, O Lord,
and afflict your heritage.
6 They kill the widow and the stranger;
they murder the orphan,
7 and they say, “The Lord does not see;
the God of Jacob does not perceive.”(E)
8 Understand, O dullest of the people;
fools, when will you be wise?(F)
9 He who planted the ear, does he not hear?
He who formed the eye, does he not see?(G)
10 He who disciplines the nations,
he who teaches knowledge to humankind,
does he not chastise?(H)
11 The Lord knows our thoughts,[a]
that they are but an empty breath.(I)
12 Happy are those whom you discipline, O Lord,
and whom you teach out of your law,(J)
13 giving them respite from days of trouble,
until a pit is dug for the wicked.
14 For the Lord will not forsake his people;
he will not abandon his heritage;(K)
15 for justice will return to the righteous,
and all the upright in heart will follow it.
16 Who rises up for me against the wicked?
Who stands up for me against evildoers?(L)
17 If the Lord had not been my help,
my soul would soon have lived in the land of silence.(M)
18 When I thought, “My foot is slipping,”
your steadfast love, O Lord, held me up.(N)
19 When the cares of my heart are many,
your consolations cheer my soul.(O)
20 Can wicked rulers be allied with you,
those who contrive mischief by statute?(P)
21 They band together against the life of the righteous
and condemn the innocent to death.(Q)
22 But the Lord has become my stronghold
and my God the rock of my refuge.(R)
23 He will repay them for their iniquity
and wipe them out for their wickedness;
the Lord our God will wipe them out.(S)
Footnotes
- 94.11 Heb the thoughts of humankind
Psalm 94
Contemporary English Version
The Lord Punishes the Guilty
1 Lord God, you punish
the guilty.
Show what you are like
and punish them now.
2 You judge the earth.
Come and help us!
Pay back those proud people
for what they have done.
3 How long will the wicked
celebrate and be glad?
4 All of those cruel people
strut and boast,
5 and they crush and wound
your chosen nation, Lord.
6 They murder widows,
foreigners, and orphans.
7 Then they say,
“The Lord God of Jacob
doesn't see or know.”
8 Can't you fools see?
Won't you ever learn?
9 God gave us ears and eyes!
Can't he hear and see?
10 God instructs the nations
and gives knowledge to us all.
Won't he also correct us?
11 (A) The Lord knows how useless
our plans really are.
12 Our Lord, you bless everyone
that you instruct and teach
by using your Law.
13 You give them rest
from their troubles,
until a pit can be dug
for the wicked.
14 You won't turn your back
on your chosen nation.
15 Justice and fairness
will go hand in hand,
and all who do right
will follow along.
16 Who will stand up for me
against those cruel people?
17 If you had not helped me, Lord,
I would soon have gone
to the land of silence.[a]
18 When I felt my feet slipping,
you came with your love
and kept me steady.
19 And when I was burdened
with worries,
you comforted me
and made me feel secure.
20 But you are opposed
to dishonest lawmakers
21 who gang up to murder
innocent victims.
22 You, Lord God, are my fortress,
that mighty rock[b]
where I am safe.
23 You will pay back my enemies,
and you will wipe them out
for the evil they did.
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