1 O Lord, the God Who punishes, God Who punishes, let Your light shine!

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

2 R ise up, You Judge of the earth. Pay what is owed to the proud.

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

3 H ow long will the sinful, O Lord, how long will the sinful be full of joy?

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

4 T hey pour out proud words. All those who do wrong, talk about themselves as if they are great people.

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

5 T hey crush Your people, O Lord. They bring trouble upon Your chosen nation.

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

6 T hey kill the woman whose husband has died and the stranger. They kill the children who have no parents.

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

7 A nd they say, “The Lord does not see. The God of Jacob does not care.”

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

8 L isten, you foolish ones among the people. You fools, when will you understand?

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

9 H e Who made the ear, does He not hear? He Who made the eye, does He not see?

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

10 H e Who punishes nations so they might give up sin, will He not speak strong words to them? Is He not the One Who teaches man all he knows?

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

11 T he Lord knows the thoughts of man. He knows that they are empty.

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

12 H appy is the man who is punished until he gives up sin, O Lord, and whom You teach from Your Law.

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

13 Y ou give him rest from days of trouble, until a hole is dug for the sinful.

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 the Lord will not turn away from His people. He will not leave His chosen nation.

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

15 F or what is decided will be right and good. And all those whose hearts are right will 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 sinful? Who will take a stand for me against those who do wrong?

Who will rise up for me against the evildoers? 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 been among the dead.

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

18 W hen I said, “My foot is going out from under me,” Your loving-kindness held me up, O Lord.

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

19 W hen my worry is great within me, Your comfort brings joy to my soul.

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

20 C an a sinful throne that brings trouble by its laws be a friend to You?

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

21 T hey join together against the life of those who are right and good. They send those who are not guilty to their death.

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

22 B ut the Lord has been my strong place, my God, and the rock where I am safe.

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

23 H e has brought back their own sin upon them and will destroy them for their wrong-doing. The Lord our God will destroy them.

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.