Psalm 94

O LORD, the God of vengeance,

O righteous God, shine forth!

Arise, condemn the haughty,

O Judge of all the earth.

How long will evildoers,

O LORD, be jubilant?

They pour out wicked boasting;

their words are arrogant.

O LORD, they crush your people,

oppress your heritage;

The widow, stranger, orphan

they murder in their rage.

They say, “God does not notice;

the LORD has closed his eyes.”

Take heed, you senseless people;

fools, when will you be wise?

Do you think the Creator,

who gave mankind the ear

And made the eye for seeing,

can neither see nor hear?

Does he who guides the nations

not punish them for wrong?

To him who gives instruction

does knowledge not belong?

All human thoughts are futile;

to you, LORD, they are known.

You bless those with correction

to whom your law is shown.

In troubled times you grant them

relief from their distress,

Until a pit is opened

to punish wickedness.

The LORD will not abandon

the folk who are his own;

His heritage, his chosen,

he never will disown.

For justice will be founded

once more on righteousness,

And all right-hearted people

approval will express.

Who will arise to help me

against the wicked one?

Who will stand up to aid me

when other help has gone?

Unless the LORD had helped me,

I’d soon have passed away

To dwell in death’s dark silence

far from the light of day.

When I said, “LORD, I’m slipping,”

your love came to my aid;

Your help gave joy and comfort

when I was so afraid.

Can God accept a tyrant

who issues harsh decrees,

And brings upon his subjects

oppressive miseries?

Against the righteous people

the evildoers plot;

To execute the guiltless,

such is their wicked thought.

But as for me, my refuge

is in the LORD Most High;

God has become my fortress

and on him I rely.

God will repay the wicked

the evil they have done;

The LORD our God will surely

destroy them every one.