1 O Lord God the auenger, O God the auenger, shewe thy selfe clearely. 2 Exalt thy selfe, O Iudge of the worlde, and render a reward to the proude. 3 Lord how long shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked triumph? 4 They prate and speake fiercely: all the workers of iniquitie vaunt themselues. 5 They smite downe thy people, O Lord, and trouble thine heritage. 6 They slay the widowe and the stranger, and murder the fatherlesse. 7 Yet they say, The Lord shall not see: neither will the God of Iaakob regard it. 8 Vnderstande ye vnwise among the people: and ye fooles, when will ye be wise? 9 Hee that planted the eare, shall hee not heare? or he that formed the eye, shall he not see? 10 Or he that chastiseth the nations, shall he not correct? hee that teacheth man knowledge, shall he not knowe? 11 The Lord knoweth the thoughtes of man, that they are vanitie. 12 Blessed is the man, whom thou chastisest, O Lord, and teachest him in thy Lawe, 13 That thou mayest giue him rest from the dayes of euill, whiles the pitte is digged for the wicked. 14 Surely the Lord will not faile his people, neither will he forsake his inheritance. 15 For iudgement shall returne to iustice, and all the vpright in heart shall follow after it. 16 Who will rise vp with me against the wicked? or who will take my part against the workers of iniquitie? 17 If the Lord had not holpen me, my soule had almost dwelt in silence. 18 When I said, My foote slideth, thy mercy, O Lord, stayed me. 19 In the multitude of my thoughts in mine heart, thy comfortes haue reioyced my soule. 20 Hath the throne of iniquitie fellowship with thee, which forgeth wrong for a Lawe? 21 They gather them together against the soule of the righteous, and condemne the innocent blood. 22 But the Lord is my refuge, and my God is the rocke of mine hope. 23 And hee will recompence them their wickednes, and destroy them in their owne malice: yea, the Lord our God shall destroy them.
God the Judge of All
1 Lord, you are a God who punishes;
reveal your anger!
2 You are the judge of us all;
rise and give the proud what they deserve!
3 How much longer will the wicked be glad?
How much longer, Lord?
4 How much longer will criminals be proud
and boast about their crimes?
5 They crush your people, Lord;
they oppress those who belong to you.
6 They kill widows and orphans,
and murder the strangers who live in our land.
7 They say, “The Lord does not see us;
the God of Israel does not notice.”
8 My people, how can you be such stupid fools?
When will you ever learn?
9 God made our ears—can't he hear?
He made our eyes—can't he see?
10 He scolds the nations—won't he punish them?
He is the teacher of us all—hasn't he any knowledge?
11 The Lord knows what we think;
he knows how senseless our reasoning is.
12 Lord, how happy are those you instruct,
the ones to whom you teach your law!
13 You give them rest from days of trouble
until a pit is dug to trap the wicked.
14 The Lord will not abandon his people;
he will not desert those who belong to him.
15 Justice will again be found in the courts,
and all righteous people will support it.
16 Who stood up for me against the wicked?
Who took my side against the evildoers?
17 If the Lord had not helped me,
I would have gone quickly to the land of silence.
18 I said, “I am falling”;
but your constant love, O Lord, held me up.
19 Whenever I am anxious and worried,
you comfort me and make me glad.
20 You have nothing to do with corrupt judges,
who make injustice legal,
21 who plot against good people
and sentence the innocent to death.
22 But the Lord defends me;
my God protects me.
23 He will punish them for their wickedness
and destroy them for their sins;
the Lord our God will destroy them.