Psalms 94
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O Lord God, to whom vengeance belongeth; O God, to whom vengeance belongeth, shew thyself.
2 Lift up thyself, thou judge of the earth: render a reward to the proud.
3 Lord, how long shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked triumph?
4 How long shall they utter and speak hard things? and all the workers of iniquity boast themselves?
5 They break in pieces thy people, O Lord, and afflict thine heritage.
6 They slay the widow and the stranger, and murder the fatherless.
7 Yet they say, The Lord shall not see, neither shall the God of Jacob regard it.
8 Understand, ye brutish among the people: and ye fools, when will ye be wise?
9 He that planted the ear, shall he not hear? he that formed the eye, shall he not see?
10 He that chastiseth the heathen, shall not he correct? he that teacheth man knowledge, shall not he know?
11 The Lord knoweth the thoughts of man, that they are vanity.
12 Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest, O Lord, and teachest him out of thy law;
13 That thou mayest give him rest from the days of adversity, until the pit be digged for the wicked.
14 For the Lord will not cast off his people, neither will he forsake his inheritance.
15 But judgment shall return unto righteousness: and all the upright in heart shall follow it.
16 Who will rise up for me against the evildoers? or who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity?
17 Unless the Lord had been my help, my soul had almost dwelt in silence.
18 When I said, My foot slippeth; thy mercy, O Lord, held me up.
19 In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul.
20 Shall the throne of iniquity have fellowship with thee, which frameth mischief by a law?
21 They gather themselves together against the soul of the righteous, and condemn the innocent blood.
22 But the Lord is my defence; and my God is the rock of my refuge.
23 And he shall bring upon them their own iniquity, and shall cut them off in their own wickedness; yea, the Lord our God shall cut them off.
Public Domain KJV text from Wordproject.org
Psalm 94:1-23
The Lord Will Not Forsake His People
1O Lord, God of vengeance,
O God of vengeance, shine forth!
2Rise up, O judge of the earth;
repay 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 sojourner,
and murder the fatherless;
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, does he not rebuke?
He who teaches man knowledge—
11the Lord—knows the thoughts of man,
that they are but a breath.
12Blessed is the man whom you discipline, O Lord,
and whom you teach out of your law,
13to give him rest 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 slips,”
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 frame injustice 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 bring back on them their iniquity
and wipe them out for their wickedness;
the Lord our God will wipe them out.
ESV Bible text displayed through the American Bible Society's Global Bible Widget
Psalm 94:1-23
Psalm 94
1The Lord is a God who avenges.
O God who avenges, shine forth.
2Rise up, Judge of the earth;
pay back to the proud what they deserve.
3How long, Lord, will the wicked,
how long will the wicked be jubilant?
4They pour out arrogant words;
all the evildoers are full of boasting.
5They crush your people, Lord;
they oppress your inheritance.
6They slay the widow and the foreigner;
they murder the fatherless.
7They say, “The Lord does not see;
the God of Jacob takes no notice.”
8Take notice, you senseless ones among the people;
you fools, when will you become wise?
9Does he who fashioned the ear not hear?
Does he who formed the eye not see?
10Does he who disciplines nations not punish?
Does he who teaches mankind lack knowledge?
11The Lord knows all human plans;
he knows that they are futile.
12Blessed is the one you discipline, Lord,
the one you teach from your law;
13you grant them relief from days of trouble,
till a pit is dug for the wicked.
14For the Lord will not reject his people;
he will never forsake his inheritance.
15Judgment will again be founded on righteousness,
and all the upright in heart will follow it.
16Who will rise up for me against the wicked?
Who will take a stand for me against evildoers?
17Unless the Lord had given me help,
I would soon have dwelt in the silence of death.
18When I said, “My foot is slipping,”
your unfailing love, Lord, supported me.
19When anxiety was great within me,
your consolation brought me joy.
20Can a corrupt throne be allied with you—
a throne that brings on misery by its decrees?
21The wicked band together against the righteous
and condemn the innocent to death.
22But the Lord has become my fortress,
and my God the rock in whom I take refuge.
23He will repay them for their sins
and destroy them for their wickedness;
the Lord our God will destroy them.
NIV Bible text displayed through the American Bible Society's Global Bible Widget
Commentary
Evilness seems to be flourishing in this sinful world and people live as if unconcerned about a coming judgement We look for the proverbial lightening strike of God's wrath to be poured out on those we have already condemned. But God promises that He sees all the actions and hears all the thoughts of every human being and He will be the final judge. God promises that there will be justice at the end of this controversy. We should keep our eyes on Jesus and not on the sin that is all around us.
“Thoughts are words to God.” (Matthew Henry) We can lift up our thoughts to His ever listening ear. Sometimes a song or Bible verse is brought to my mind to cheer me up. God uses nature to speak to us. When I am seeking solace, He shows me beautiful flowers, birds, or heart clouds. He knows how to lift up our hearts and bring comfort to our souls because He is our Creator.
The pain we feel witnessing sin just reminds us to draw closer to God and let Him be our Rock of Refuge. Let God be our defense while we await our rescue party.
Cheri Holmes
Emergency Room Registered Nurse, Lynden, Washington USA
