Psalms 94

94 <1> The Lord is a God who punishes people.

God, come punish them.

<2> You are the judge of the whole earth.

Give proud people the punishment they deserve.

<3> Lord, how long will the wicked have their fun?

How much longer?

<4> How much longer will those criminals

brag about the evil they did?

<5> Lord, they hurt your people

and make them suffer.

<6> They kill widows and foreigners living in our country.

They murder orphans.

<7> And they say the Lord does not see them

doing those evil things!

They say the God of Israel

does not know what is happening.

<8> You evil people are foolish.

When will you learn your lesson?

You are so stupid!

You must try to understand.

<9> God made our ears,

so surely he can hear what is happening!

He made our eyes,

so surely he can see what is happening!

<10> God disciplines nations,

so surely he will correct people.

He will teach them what they should do.

<11> He knows what people are thinking.

He knows that people are like a puff of wind.

<12> Whoever the Lord disciplines

will receive many blessings.

He will teach them

the right way of living.

<13> God, you will help them stay calm

when trouble comes.

You will help them stay calm

until evil people are put in their grave.

<14> The Lord will not leave his people.

He will not leave them without help.

<15> Justice will return, and it will bring fairness.

And then there will be good, honest people.

<16> No one helped me fight

against the evil people.

No one stood with me to fight

against those who do bad things.

<17> And if the Lord had not helped me,

I would have been silenced by death.

<18> I know I was ready to fall,

but the Lord's faithful love supported me.

<19> I was very worried and upset,

but you comforted me and made me happy!

<20> God, you don't help crooked judges.

They use the law to make life hard for the people.

<21> They attack good people.

They say that innocent people are guilty and kill them.

<22> But the Lord is my place of safety,

high on the mountain.

God, my Rock,[519] is my safe place!

<23> He will punish those evil judges

for the bad things they did.

He will destroy them

because they sinned.

The Lord our God will destroy them.