1 ¶ O LORD God, to whom vengeance belongs; O God, to whom vengeance belongs, show thyself.

God of vengeance -- Jehovah! God of vengeance, shine forth.

2 L ift up thyself, thou judge of the earth: render a reward to the proud.

Be lifted up, O Judge of the earth, Send back a recompence on the proud.

3 L ORD, how long shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked triumph?

Till when the wicked, O Jehovah? Till when do the wicked exult?

4 H ow long shall they utter and speak hard things? and all the workers of iniquity boast themselves?

They utter -- they speak an old saw, All working iniquity do boast themselves.

5 T hey break in pieces thy people, O LORD, and afflict thy heritage.

Thy people, O Jehovah, they bruise, And Thine inheritance they afflict.

6 T hey slay the widow and the stranger and murder the fatherless.

Widow and sojourner they slay, And fatherless ones they murder.

7 Y et they say, JAH shall not see, neither shall the God of Jacob regard it.

And they say, `Jehovah doth not see, And the God of Jacob doth not consider.'

8 U nderstand, ye carnal ones among the people, and, ye fools, when will ye be wise?

Consider, ye brutish among the people, And ye foolish, when do ye act wisely?

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

He who planteth the ear doth He not hear? He who formeth the eye doth He not see?

10 H e that chastens the Gentiles, shall he not correct? he that teaches man knowledge, shall not he know?

He who is instructing nations, Doth He not reprove? He who is teaching man knowledge Jehovah.

11 T he LORD knows the thoughts of man, that they are vanity.

He knoweth the thoughts of man, that they vanity.

12 ¶ Blessed is the man whom thou dost chasten, O JAH, and teach him out of thy law,

O the happiness of the man Whom Thou instructest, O Jah, And out of Thy law teachest him,

13 t o cause him to rest in the days of adversity, until the pit is dug for the wicked.

To give rest to him from days of evil, While a pit is digged for the wicked.

14 F or the LORD will not cast off his people, neither will he forsake his inheritance.

For Jehovah leaveth not His people, And His inheritance forsaketh not.

15 B ut the judgment shall be returned unto righteousness, and all the upright in heart shall follow it.

For to righteousness judgment turneth back, And after it all the upright of heart,

16 W ho will rise up for me against the evildoers? or who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity?

Who riseth up for me with evil doers? Who stationeth himself for me with workers of iniquity?

17 U nless the LORD had been my help, my soul would have quickly dwelt with the dead.

Unless Jehovah a help to me, My soul had almost inhabited silence.

18 W hen I said, My foot slips, thy mercy, O LORD, held me up.

If I have said, `My foot hath slipped,' Thy kindness, O Jehovah, supporteth me.

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

In the abundance of my thoughts within me, Thy comforts delight my soul.

20 S hall the throne of iniquity have fellowship with thee, who creates toil under the guise of law?

Is a throne of mischief joined Thee? A framer of perverseness by statute?

21 T hey gather themselves together as an army against the life of the righteous and condemn the innocent blood.

They decree against the soul of the righteous, And innocent blood declare wicked.

22 B ut the LORD is my refuge, and my God is the rock of my trust.

And Jehovah is for a high place to me, And my God for a rock -- my refuge,

23 A nd he shall bring upon them their own iniquity and shall cut them off in their own wickedness; yea, the LORD our God shall cut them off.

And turneth back on them their iniquity, And in their wickedness cutteth them off; Jehovah our God doth cut them off!