The Book of Psalms

⭑ Catholic Public Domain Version 2009 ⭑

- Chapter 94 -

The Lord will not forget his people

A Psalm of David himself. The Fourth Sabbath. The Lord is the God of retribution. The God of retribution acts in order to deliver.

Lift yourself up, for you judge the earth. Repay the arrogant with retribution.

How long will sinners, O Lord, how long will sinners glory?

How long will they utter and speak iniquity? How long will all who work injustice speak out?(a)

They have humiliated your people, O Lord, and they have harassed your inheritance.

They have executed the widow and the new arrival, and they have slaughtered the orphan.

And they have said, “The Lord will not see, nor will the God of Jacob understand.”

Understand, you senseless ones among the people. And be wise at last, you foolish ones.

He who formed the ear, will he not hear? And he who forged the eye, does he not look closely?

He who chastises nations, he who teaches man knowledge, will he not rebuke?(b)

The Lord knows the thoughts of men: that these are in vain.

Blessed is the man whom you will instruct, O Lord. And you will teach him from your law.

So may you soothe him from the evil days, until a pit may be dug for sinners.(c)

For the Lord will not drive away his people, and he will not abandon his inheritance,

even until the time when justice is being converted into judgment, and when those who are close to justice are all those who are upright of heart.(d)

(e)

Who will rise up with me against the malignant? Or who will stand with me against the workers of iniquity?

Except that the Lord assisted me, my soul almost would have dwelt in Hell.

If ever I said, “My foot is slipping,” then your mercy, O Lord, assisted me.

According to the multitude of my sorrows in my heart, your consolations have given joy to my soul.

Does the seat of iniquity adhere to you, you who contrive hardship within a commandment?(f)

They will hunt down the soul of the just, and they will condemn innocent blood.

And the Lord has been made into a refuge for me, and my God into the assistance of my hope.

And he will repay them their iniquity, and he will destroy them in their malice. The Lord our God will utterly destroy them.

Footnotes

(a)93:4 The translation words ‘how long...’ are implied from the previous verse.(Conte)

(b)93:10 Or, ‘He who chastises nations, will he not rebuke? for it is he who teaches man knowledge.’(Conte)

(c)93:13 Rest from the evil days:That you may mitigate the sorrows, to which he is exposed, during the short and evil days of his mortality.(Challoner)

(d)93:15 The pronoun ‘illam’ is singular feminine, so it refers to ‘justitia’ not ‘judicium.’ The translation is somewhat loose in order to preserve the meaning of the Latin.(Conte)

(e)93:15 Until justice be turned into judgment, etc:By being put in execution; which will be agreeable to all the upright in heart.(Challoner)

(f)93:20 Does the seat of iniquity adhere:That is, will you, O God, who art always just, admit of the seat of iniquity: that is, of injustice, or unjust judges, to have any partnership with you? You who frames, or makes, labour in commandment, that is, you who obliges us to labour with all diligence to keep thy commandments.(Challoner)