1. Lord, avenging God—avenging God, show yourself!
2. Rise up, judge of the earth!Pay back the arrogant exactly what they deserve!
3. How long will the wicked—oh, Lord!—how long will the wicked win?
4. They spew arrogant words;all the evildoers are bragging.
5. They crush your own people, Lord!They abuse your very own possession.
6. They kill widows and immigrants;they murder orphans,
7. saying all the while,"The Lord can’t see it;Jacob’s God doesn’t knowwhat’s going on!"
8. You ignorant people better learn quickly.You fools—when will you get some sense?
9. The one who made the ear,can’t he hear?The one who formed the eye,can’t he see?
10. The one who disciplines nations,can’t he punish?The one who teaches humans,doesn’t he know?
11. The Lord does indeed know human thoughts,knows that they are nothing but a puff of air.
12. The people you discipline, Lord, are truly happy—the ones you teach from your Instruction—
13. giving them relief from troubling timesuntil a pit is dug for the wicked.
14. The Lord will not reject his people;he will not abandon his very own possession.
15. No, but justice will once again meet up with righteousness,and all whose heart is right will follow after.
16. Who will stand up for me against the wicked?Who will help me against evildoers?
17. If the Lord hadn’t helped me,I would live instantly in total silence.
18. Whenever I feel my foot slipping,your faithful love steadies me, Lord.
19. When my anxieties multiply,your comforting calms me down.
20. Can a wicked ruler be your ally;one who wreaks havoc by means of the law?
21. The wicked gang up against the lives of the righteous.They condemn innocent blood.
22. But the Lord is my fortress;my God is my rock of refuge.
23. He will repay them for their wickedness,completely destroy them because of their evil.Yes, the Lord our God will completely destroy them.