1 O Lord, God of vengeance, God of vengeance, shine forth!

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

2 R ise up, O Judge of the earth, Render recompense to the proud.

Lift up thyself, thou judge of the earth: Render to the proud their desert.

3 H ow long shall the wicked, O Lord, How long shall the wicked exult?

Jehovah, how long shall the wicked, How long shall the wicked triumph?

4 T hey pour forth words, they speak arrogantly; All who do wickedness vaunt themselves.

They prate, they speak arrogantly: All the workers of iniquity boast themselves.

5 T hey crush Your people, O Lord, And afflict Your heritage.

They break in pieces thy people, O Jehovah, And afflict thy heritage.

6 T hey slay the widow and the stranger And murder the orphans.

They slay the widow and the sojourner, And murder the fatherless.

7 T hey have said, “ The Lord does not see, Nor does the God of Jacob pay heed.”

And they say, Jehovah will not see, Neither will the God of Jacob consider.

8 P ay heed, you senseless among the people; And when will you understand, stupid ones?

Consider, ye brutish among the people; And ye fools, when will ye be wise?

9 H e who planted the ear, does He not hear? He who formed the eye, does He not see?

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

10 H e who chastens the nations, will He not rebuke, Even He who teaches man knowledge?

He that chastiseth the nations, shall not he correct, Even he that teacheth man knowledge?

11 T he Lord knows the thoughts of man, That they are a mere breath.

Jehovah knoweth the thoughts of man, That they are vanity.

12 B lessed is the man whom You chasten, O Lord, And whom You teach out of Your law;

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

13 T hat You may grant him relief from the days of adversity, Until a pit is dug for the wicked.

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

14 F or the Lord will not abandon His people, Nor will He forsake His inheritance.

For Jehovah will not cast off his people, Neither will he forsake his inheritance.

15 F or judgment will again be righteous, And all the upright in heart will follow it.

For judgment shall return unto righteousness; And all the upright in heart shall follow it.

16 W ho will stand up for me against evildoers? Who will take his stand for me against those who do wickedness?

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

17 I f the Lord had not been my help, My soul would soon have dwelt in the abode of silence.

Unless Jehovah had been my help, My soul had soon dwelt in silence.

18 I f I should say, “ My foot has slipped,” Your lovingkindness, O Lord, will hold me up.

When I said, My foot slippeth; Thy lovingkindness, O Jehovah, held me up.

19 W hen my anxious thoughts multiply within me, Your consolations delight my soul.

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

20 C an a throne of destruction be allied with You, One which devises mischief by decree?

Shall the throne of wickedness have fellowship with thee, Which frameth mischief by statute?

21 T hey band themselves together against the life of the righteous And condemn the innocent to death.

They gather themselves together against the soul of the righteous, And condemn the innocent blood.

22 B ut the Lord has been my stronghold, And my God the rock of my refuge.

But Jehovah hath been my high tower, And my God the rock of my refuge.

23 H e has brought back their wickedness upon them And will destroy them in their evil; The Lord our God will destroy them.

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.