God the Avenger of the Righteous

1O LORD, you God of vengeance,

you God of vengeance, shine forth!

2Rise up, O judge of the earth;

give to the proud what they deserve!

3O LORD, how long shall the wicked,

how long shall the wicked exult?

4They pour out their arrogant words;

all the evildoers boast.

5They crush your people, O LORD,

and afflict your heritage.

6They kill the widow and the stranger,

they murder the orphan,

7and they say, ‘The LORD does not see;

the God of Jacob does not perceive.’

8Understand, O dullest of the people;

fools, when will you be wise?

9He who planted the ear, does he not hear?

He who formed the eye, does he not see?

10He who disciplines the nations,

he who teaches knowledge to humankind,

does he not chastise?

11The LORD knows our thoughts,94.11 Heb the thoughts of humankind

that they are but an empty breath.

12Happy are those whom you discipline, O LORD,

and whom you teach out of your law,

13giving them respite from days of trouble,

until a pit is dug for the wicked.

14For the LORD will not forsake his people;

he will not abandon his heritage;

15for justice will return to the righteous,

and all the upright in heart will follow it.

16Who rises up for me against the wicked?

Who stands up for me against evildoers?

17If the LORD had not been my help,

my soul would soon have lived in the land of silence.

18When I thought, ‘My foot is slipping’,

your steadfast love, O LORD, held me up.

19When the cares of my heart are many,

your consolations cheer my soul.

20Can wicked rulers be allied with you,

those who contrive mischief by statute?

21They band together against the life of the righteous,

and condemn the innocent to death.

22But the LORD has become my stronghold,

and my God the rock of my refuge.

23He will repay them for their iniquity

and wipe them out for their wickedness;

the LORD our God will wipe them out.