Psalm 9

³ My enemies turn back.
    They fall down and die right in front of you.
⁴ You have proved that I haven’t done anything wrong.
    You have sat on your throne and judged fairly.
⁵ You have punished the nations. You have destroyed evil people.
    You have erased their names from your book for ever and ever.
⁶ My enemies have been destroyed forever.
    You have leveled their cities to the ground.
    Even the memory of them is gone.

⁷ The Lord rules forever.
    He has set up his throne so that he can judge people.
⁸ He rules the world in keeping with what is right.
    He judges all its people fairly.
⁹ The Lord is a place of safety for those who have been treated badly.
    He keeps them safe in times of trouble.
¹⁰ Lord, those who know you will trust in you.
    You have never deserted those who look to you.

¹¹ Sing the praises of the Lord. He rules from his throne in Zion.
    Tell among the nations what he has done.
¹² The God who pays back murderers remembers.
    He doesn’t forget the cries of those who are hurting.

¹³ Lord, see how badly my enemies treat me!
    Help me! Don’t let me go down to the gates of death!
¹⁴ Then I can give praise to you
    at the gates of the city of Zion.
There I will be full of joy
    because you have saved me.
¹⁵ The nations have fallen into the pit they have dug.
    Their feet are caught in the net they have hidden.
¹⁶ The Lord is known to be fair by the things he does.
    Evil people are trapped by what they have done.
¹⁷ Sinful people go down to the place of the dead.
    So do all the nations that forget God.
¹⁸ But God will never forget needy people.
    The hope of those who are hurting will never die.

¹⁹ Lord, rise up. Don’t let people win the battle.
    Let the nations come to you and be judged.
²⁰ Lord, strike them with terror.
Let the nations know they are only human beings.