Psalm 94
Words: The Psalter of the United Presbyterian Church of North America, 1887 ed.
1 To God the Lord, to whom alone
All vengeance doth belong;
O mighty God of vengeance, come;
Shine forth, avenging wrong.
2 Lift up thyself, thou of the earth
The sov'reign Judge that art;
And unto those that are so proud,
A due reward impart.
3 How long, O mighty God, shall they
Who work iniquity;
How long shall they who wicked are
Thus triumph haughtily?
4 How long shall things so hard by them
Still uttered be and told?
And all that work iniquity
To boast themselves be bold?
5 For they thy people crush, O Lord,
Thy heritage oppress;
The widow and the stranger slay,
They kill the fatherless.
6 And yet they say, God will not see,
Nor God of Jacob know.
'Ye brutish people! understand;
Fools! when wise will ye grow?
7 The Lord did plant the ear of man,
And hear then shall not he?
He also formed the eye, and then
Shall he not clearly see?
8 He that the nations doth correct,
Shall he not chasten you?
He knowledge unto mail doth teach
And shall himself not know?
9 Man's thoughts to be but vanity
The Lord doth well discern.
Blest is the man thou chast'nest, Lord,
And mak'st thy law to learn:
10 That thou mayst give him rest from days
Of sad adversity,
Until the pit be digged for them
That work iniquity.
11 Because the Lord will not cast off
His people utterly,
Nor shall his own inheritance
By him forsaken be.
12 But judgment unto righteousness
Shall yet return again;
And all shall follow after it
That are right-hearted men.
13 O who will rise for me against
Those that do wickedly?
And who will stand for me 'gainst those
That work iniquity?
14 Unless the Lord had been my help
When I was sore oppressed,
My soul had almost in the house
Of silence been at rest.
15 When l through fear had spoken thus,
"My foot doth slip away,"
Thy mercy held me up, O Lord,
Thy goodness did me stay.
16 When anxious thoughts my heart oppress,
And fill my soul with grief,
The consolations of thy grace
To me afford relief.
17 Shall of iniquity the throne
Have fellowship with thee,
Which mischief, cunningly contrived,
Doth by a law decree?
18 Against the righteous souls they join,
They guiltless blood condemn.
But of my refuge God's the rock,
And my defense from them.
19 On them their own iniquity
The Lord himself shall lay.
He'll cut them off in their own sin:
The Lord our God them slay.