Chapter 94

אאֵל־נְקָמ֥וֹת יְהוָ֑ה אֵ֖ל נְקָמ֣וֹת הוֹפִֽיַע׃

1God of retribution, ETERNAL One,
God of retribution, appear!

בהִ֭נָּשֵׂא שֹׁפֵ֣ט הָאָ֑רֶץ הָשֵׁ֥ב גְּ֝מ֗וּל עַל־גֵּאִֽים׃

2Rise up, judge of the earth,
give the arrogant their deserts!

געַד־מָתַ֖י רְשָׁעִ֥ים ׀ יְהוָ֑ה עַד־מָ֝תַ֗י רְשָׁעִ֥ים יַעֲלֹֽזוּ׃

3How long shall the wicked, O ETERNAL One,
how long shall the wicked exult,

דיַבִּ֣יעוּ יְדַבְּר֣וּ עָתָ֑ק יִֽ֝תְאַמְּר֗וּ כָּל־פֹּ֥עֲלֵי אָֽוֶן׃

4shall they utter insolent speech,
shall all evildoers vaunt themselves?

העַמְּךָ֣ יְהוָ֣ה יְדַכְּא֑וּ וְֽנַחֲלָתְךָ֥ יְעַנּֽוּ׃

5They crush Your people, O ETERNAL One,
they afflict Your very own;

ואַ֭לְמָנָה וְגֵ֣ר יַהֲרֹ֑גוּ וִֽיתוֹמִ֣ים יְרַצֵּֽחוּ׃

6they kill the widow and the stranger;
they murder the fatherless,

זוַ֭יֹּ֣אמְרוּ לֹ֣א יִרְאֶה־יָּ֑הּ וְלֹא־יָ֝בִ֗ין אֱלֹהֵ֥י יַעֲקֹֽב׃

7thinking, “Yah¹ does not see it,
the God of Jacob does not pay heed.”

חבִּ֭ינוּ בֹּעֲרִ֣ים בָּעָ֑ם וּ֝כְסִילִ֗ים מָתַ֥י תַּשְׂכִּֽילוּ׃

8Take heed, you most brutish people;
fools, when will you get wisdom?

טהֲנֹ֣טַֽע אֹ֭זֶן הֲלֹ֣א יִשְׁמָ֑ע אִֽם־יֹ֥צֵֽר עַ֝֗יִן הֲלֹ֣א יַבִּֽיט׃

9Shall the One who implants the ear not hear,
the One who forms the eye not see?

יהֲיֹסֵ֣ר גּ֭וֹיִם הֲלֹ֣א יוֹכִ֑יחַ הַֽמְלַמֵּ֖ד אָדָ֣ם דָּֽעַת׃

10Shall the One who disciplines nations not punish,
the One who instructs humankind in knowledge?

יאיְֽהוָ֗ה יֹ֭דֵעַ מַחְשְׁב֣וֹת אָדָ֑ם כִּי־הֵ֥מָּה הָֽבֶל׃

11GOD knows human designs to be futile.

יבאַשְׁרֵ֤י ׀ הַגֶּ֣בֶר אֲשֶׁר־תְּיַסְּרֶ֣נּוּ יָּ֑הּ וּֽמִתּוֹרָתְךָ֥ תְלַמְּדֶֽנּוּ׃

12Happy are those² whom You discipline, O Yah,
whom You instruct in Your teaching,

יגלְהַשְׁקִ֣יט ל֭וֹ מִ֣ימֵי רָ֑ע עַ֤ד יִכָּרֶ֖ה לָרָשָׁ֣ע שָֽׁחַת׃

13whom You give tranquility in times of misfortune,
until a pit be dug for the wicked.

ידכִּ֤י ׀ לֹא־יִטֹּ֣שׁ יְהוָ֣ה עַמּ֑וֹ וְ֝נַחֲלָת֗וֹ לֹ֣א יַעֲזֹֽב׃

14For GOD will not forsake this people;
God’s very own will not be abandoned.

טוכִּֽי־עַד־צֶ֭דֶק יָשׁ֣וּב מִשְׁפָּ֑ט וְ֝אַחֲרָ֗יו כָּל־יִשְׁרֵי־לֵֽב׃

15Judgment shall again accord with justice
and all the upright shall rally to it.

טזמִֽי־יָק֣וּם לִ֭י עִם־מְרֵעִ֑ים מִֽי־יִתְיַצֵּ֥ב לִ֝י עִם־פֹּ֥עֲלֵי אָֽוֶן׃

16Who will take my part against evildoers?
Who will stand up for me against wrongdoers?

יזלוּלֵ֣י יְ֭הוָה עֶזְרָ֣תָה לִּ֑י כִּמְעַ֓ט ׀ שָֽׁכְנָ֖ה דוּמָ֣ה נַפְשִֽׁי׃

17Were not GOD my help,
I should soon dwell in silence.

יחאִם־אָ֭מַרְתִּי מָ֣טָה רַגְלִ֑י חַסְדְּךָ֥ יְ֝הוָ֗ה יִסְעָדֵֽנִי׃

18When I think my foot has given way,
Your faithfulness, O ETERNAL One, supports me.

יטבְּרֹ֣ב שַׂרְעַפַּ֣י בְּקִרְבִּ֑י תַּ֝נְחוּמֶ֗יךָ יְֽשַׁעַשְׁע֥וּ נַפְשִֽׁי׃

19When I am filled with cares,
Your assurance soothes my soul.

כהַֽ֭יְחָבְרְךָ כִּסֵּ֣א הַוּ֑וֹת יֹצֵ֖ר עָמָ֣ל עֲלֵי־חֹֽק׃

20Shall the seat of injustice be Your partner,
that frames mischief by statute?

כאיָ֭גוֹדּוּ עַל־נֶ֣פֶשׁ צַדִּ֑יק וְדָ֖ם נָקִ֣י יַרְשִֽׁיעוּ׃

21They band together to do away with the righteous;
they condemn the innocent to death.

כבוַיְהִ֬י יְהוָ֣ה לִ֣י לְמִשְׂגָּ֑ב וֵ֝אלֹהַ֗י לְצ֣וּר מַחְסִֽי׃

22But GOD is my haven;
my God is my sheltering rock.

כגוַיָּ֤שֶׁב עֲלֵיהֶ֨ם ׀ אֶת־אוֹנָ֗ם וּבְרָעָתָ֥ם יַצְמִיתֵ֑ם יַ֝צְמִיתֵ֗ם יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ׃

23Their evil will be made to recoil upon them,
through their own wickedness they will be annihilated;
the ETERNAL our God will annihilate them.

Sefaria: Tanach with Ta'amei Hamikra · Public domain · sefaria.org

Sefaria: THE JPS TANAKH: Gender-Sensitive Edition · CC BY-NC · sefaria.org