Psalm 94
Lexham English Bible
A Prayer for Retribution against Oppressors
94 O Yahweh, God of vengeance,
God of vengeance, shine forth.
2 Rise up, O Judge of the earth.
Repay upon the proud what is their rightful due.
3 How long will the wicked, O Yahweh,
how long will the wicked exult?
4 They gush words[a] unrestrained.
All the evildoers boast.
5 They crush your people, O Yahweh;
they oppress your inheritance.
6 They kill widow and stranger,
and they murder orphans,
7 while[b] they say, “Yah[c] does not see,”
and “The God of Jacob does not pay attention.”
8 You pay attention, O brutes among the people.
And you fools, when you will show insight?
9 Will the one who planted the ear not hear?
Will the one who formed the eye not see?
10 Will the one who instructs nations not rebuke,
the one who teaches humankind knowledge?
11 Yahweh knows the thoughts of humankind,
that they are to no purpose.[d]
12 Blessed is the man, O Yah, whom you instruct
and teach from your law,
13 to give him rest from days of trouble,
until a pit is dug for the wicked.
14 For Yahweh will not abandon his people,
nor forsake his inheritance.
15 For judgment will return to righteousness,[e]
and all the upright in heart will follow after it.
16 Who rose up for me against the wicked?
Who stood up for me against the workers of iniquity?
17 If Yahweh had not been my help,
my soul would soon have dwelt in silence.
18 When I thought,[f] “My foot is slipping,”
your loyal love, O Yahweh, supported me.
19 When my troubled thoughts were many within me,[g]
your consolations cheered my soul.
20 Can there be allied with you a throne of destruction,
one that forms trouble based on statute?
21 They band together against the life of the righteous,
and declare the blameless guilty of blood.[h]
22 But Yahweh has become my high stronghold,
and my God has become my rock of refuge.
23 And he will repay on them their iniquity,
and by[i] their evil he will destroy them.
Yahweh our God will destroy them.
Footnotes
- Psalm 94:4 Literally “They gush, they speak,” which is probably a hendiadys
- Psalm 94:7 Hebrew “and”
- Psalm 94:7 A shortened form of “Yahweh”
- Psalm 94:11 Literally “they are a breath” or “a vanity”
- Psalm 94:15 That is, the court system will operate correctly
- Psalm 94:18 Hebrew “If/When I said,” that is, said to myself
- Psalm 94:19 Literally “in my inward parts”
- Psalm 94:21 Or “condemn innocent blood”
- Psalm 94:23 Or “in”
Psalm 94
American Standard Version
Jehovah implored to avenge his people.
94 O Jehovah, thou God to whom vengeance belongeth,
Thou God to whom vengeance belongeth, shine forth.
2 Lift up thyself, thou judge of the earth:
Render to the proud their desert.
3 Jehovah, how long shall the wicked,
How long shall the wicked triumph?
4 They prate, they speak arrogantly:
All the workers of iniquity boast themselves.
5 They break in pieces thy people, O Jehovah,
And afflict thy heritage.
6 They slay the widow and the sojourner,
And murder the fatherless.
7 And they say, [a]Jehovah will not see,
Neither will the God of Jacob consider.
8 Consider, ye brutish among the people;
And ye fools, when will ye be wise?
9 He that planted the ear, shall he not hear?
He that formed the eye, shall he not see?
10 He that [b]chastiseth the nations, shall not he correct,
Even he that teacheth man knowledge?
11 Jehovah knoweth the thoughts of man,
[c]That they are [d]vanity.
12 Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest, O [e]Jehovah,
And teachest out of thy law;
13 That thou mayest give him rest from the days of adversity,
Until the pit be digged for the wicked.
14 For Jehovah will not cast off his people,
Neither will he forsake his inheritance.
15 For judgment shall return unto righteousness;
And all the upright in heart shall follow it.
16 Who will rise up for me against the evil-doers?
Who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity?
17 Unless Jehovah had been my help,
My soul had soon dwelt in silence.
18 When I said, My foot slippeth;
Thy lovingkindness, O Jehovah, held me up.
19 In the multitude of my [f]thoughts within me Thy comforts delight my soul.
20 Shall the [g]throne of wickedness have fellowship with thee,
Which frameth mischief by statute?
21 They gather themselves together against the soul of the righteous,
And condemn the innocent blood.
22 But Jehovah hath been my high tower,
And my God the rock of my refuge.
23 And he hath brought upon them their own iniquity,
And will cut them off in their own wickedness;
Jehovah our God will cut them off.
Footnotes
- Psalm 94:7 Hebrew Jah.
- Psalm 94:10 Or, instructeth
- Psalm 94:11 Or, For
- Psalm 94:11 Hebrew a breath.
- Psalm 94:12 Hebrew Jah.
- Psalm 94:19 Or, doubts
- Psalm 94:20 Or, seat
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