Psalm 94

⁴ Proud words pour out of their mouths.
    All those who do evil are always bragging.
⁵ Lord, they crush your people.
    They treat badly those who belong to you.
⁶ They kill outsiders. They kill widows.
    They murder children whose fathers have died.
⁷ They say, “The Lord doesn’t see what’s happening.
    The God of Jacob doesn’t pay any attention to it.”

⁸ You who aren’t wise, pay attention.
    You foolish people, when will you become wise?
⁹ Does he who made the ear not hear?
    Does he who formed the eye not see?
¹⁰ Does he who corrects nations not punish?
    Does he who teaches human beings not know anything?
¹¹ The Lord knows what people think.
    He knows that their thoughts don’t amount to anything.

¹² Lord, blessed is the person you correct.
    Blessed is the person you teach from your law.
¹³ You give them rest from times of trouble,
    until a pit is dug to trap sinners.
¹⁴ The Lord won’t say no to his people.
    He will never desert those who belong to him.
¹⁵ He will again judge people in keeping with what is right.
    All those who have honest hearts will follow the right way.

¹⁶ Who will rise up for me against sinful people?
    Who will stand up for me against those who do evil?
¹⁷ Suppose the Lord had not helped me.
    Then I would soon have been lying quietly in the grave.
¹⁸ I said, “My foot is slipping.”
    But Lord, your faithful love kept me from falling.
¹⁹ I was very worried.
    But your comfort brought me joy.

²⁰ Can you have anything to do with rulers who aren’t fair?
    Can those who make laws that cause suffering be friends of yours?
²¹ Evil people join together against those who do what is right.
    They sentence to death those who aren’t guilty of doing anything wrong.
²² But the Lord has become like a fort to me.
    My God is my rock. I go to him for safety.
²³ He will pay them back for their sins.
    He will destroy them for their evil acts.
    The Lord our God will destroy them.