1 O Jehovah, thou God to whom vengeance belongeth, Thou God to whom vengeance belongeth, shine forth.

O Lord God, You to Whom vengeance belongs, O God, You to Whom vengeance belongs, shine forth!

2 L ift up thyself, thou judge of the earth: Render to the proud their desert.

Rise up, O Judge of the earth; render to the proud a fit compensation!

3 J ehovah, how long shall the wicked, How long shall the wicked triumph?

Lord, how long shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked triumph and exult?

4 T hey prate, they speak arrogantly: All the workers of iniquity boast themselves.

They pour out arrogant words, speaking hard things; all the evildoers boast loftily.

5 T hey break in pieces thy people, O Jehovah, And afflict thy heritage.

They crush Your people, O Lord, and afflict Your heritage.

6 T hey slay the widow and the sojourner, And murder the fatherless.

They slay the widow and the transient stranger and murder the unprotected orphan.

7 A nd they say, Jehovah will not see, Neither will the God of Jacob consider.

Yet they say, The Lord does not see, neither does the God of Jacob notice it.

8 C onsider, ye brutish among the people; And ye fools, when will ye be wise?

Consider and understand, you stupid ones among the people! And you fools, when will you become wise?

9 H e that planted the ear, shall he not hear? He that formed the eye, shall he not see?

He Who planted the ear, shall He not hear? He Who formed the eye, shall He not see?

10 H e that chastiseth the nations, shall not he correct, Even he that teacheth man knowledge?

He Who disciplines and instructs the nations, shall He not punish, He Who teaches man knowledge?

11 J ehovah knoweth the thoughts of man, That they are vanity.

The Lord knows the thoughts of man, that they are vain (empty and futile—only a breath).

12 B lessed is the man whom thou chastenest, O Jehovah, And teachest out of thy law;

Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the man whom You discipline and instruct, O Lord, and teach out of Your law,

13 T hat thou mayest give him rest from the days of adversity, Until the pit be digged for the wicked.

That You may give him power to keep himself calm in the days of adversity, until the pit of corruption is dug for the wicked.

14 F or Jehovah will not cast off his people, Neither will he forsake his inheritance.

For the Lord will not cast off nor spurn His people, neither will He abandon His heritage.

15 F or judgment shall return unto righteousness; And all the upright in heart shall follow it.

For justice will return to the righteous, and all the upright in heart will follow it.

16 W ho will rise up for me against the evil-doers? Who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity?

Who will rise up for me against the evildoers? Who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity?

17 U nless Jehovah had been my help, My soul had soon dwelt in silence.

Unless the Lord had been my help, I would soon have dwelt in silence.

18 W hen I said, My foot slippeth; Thy lovingkindness, O Jehovah, held me up.

When I said, My foot is slipping, Your mercy and loving-kindness, O Lord, held me up.

19 I n the multitude of my thoughts within me Thy comforts delight my soul.

In the multitude of my thoughts within me, Your comforts cheer and delight my soul!

20 S hall the throne of wickedness have fellowship with thee, Which frameth mischief by statute?

Shall the throne of iniquity have fellowship with You—they who frame and hide their unrighteous doings under law?

21 T hey gather themselves together against the soul of the righteous, And condemn the innocent blood.

They band themselves together against the life of the righteous and condemn the innocent to death.

22 B ut Jehovah hath been my high tower, And my God the rock of my refuge.

But the Lord has become my High Tower and Defense, and my God the Rock of my refuge.

23 A nd he hath brought upon them their own iniquity, And will cut them off in their own wickedness; Jehovah our God will cut them off.

And He will turn back upon them their own iniquity and will wipe them out by means of their own wickedness; the Lord our God will wipe them out.