1 Y ahweh, you God to whom vengeance belongs, you God to whom vengeance belongs, shine out.

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 back the proud what they deserve.

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

3 Y ahweh, how long will the wicked, how long will the wicked triumph?

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

4 T hey pour out arrogant words. All the evildoers boast.

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

5 T hey break your people in pieces, Yahweh, and afflict your heritage.

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

6 T hey kill the widow and the alien, and murder the fatherless.

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

7 T hey say, “Yah will not see, neither will Jacob’s God consider.”

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

8 C onsider, you senseless among the people; you fools, when will you be wise?

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

9 H e who implanted the ear, won’t he hear? He who formed the eye, won’t he see?

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

10 H e who disciplines the nations, won’t he punish? He who teaches man knows.

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

11 Y ahweh knows the thoughts of man, that they are futile.

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

12 B lessed is the man whom you discipline, Yah, and teach out of 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 t hat you may give him rest from the days of adversity, until the pit is dug 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 Yahweh won’t reject 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 will return to righteousness. 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 wicked? Who will stand up for me against the evildoers?

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

17 U nless Yahweh had been my help, my soul would have soon lived in silence.

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

18 W hen I said, “My foot is slipping!” Your loving kindness, Yahweh, 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, your 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 you, which brings about 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 Yahweh has been my high tower, 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 H e has brought on them their own iniquity, and will cut them off in their own wickedness. Yahweh, 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.