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

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

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

Lift up thyself, thou judge of the earth: render a reward to the proud.

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

LORD, 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.

How long shall they utter and speak hard things? and 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 LORD, and afflict thy heritage.

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

They slay the widow and the stranger and murder the fatherless.

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

Yet they say, JAH shall not see, neither shall the God of Jacob regard it.

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

Understand, ye carnal ones 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 chastens the Gentiles, shall he not correct? he that teaches man knowledge, shall not he know?

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

The LORD knows 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 dost chasten, O JAH, and teach him 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.

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

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

For the LORD 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.

But the judgment shall be returned 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 evildoers? or 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 the LORD had been my help, my soul would have quickly dwelt with the dead.

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

When I said, My foot slips, thy mercy, O LORD, 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 iniquity have fellowship with thee, who creates toil under the guise of law?

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

They gather themselves together as an army against the life 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 the LORD is my refuge, and my God is the rock of my trust.

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 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.