God the Refuge of the Righteous
O Lord God, ato whom vengeance belongs—
O God, to whom vengeance belongs, shine forth!
2 Rise up, O aJudge of the earth;
Render punishment to the proud.
3 Lord, ahow long will the wicked,
How long will the wicked triumph?
4 They autter speech, and speak insolent things;
All the workers of iniquity boast in themselves.
5 They break in pieces Your people, O Lord,
And afflict Your heritage.
6 They slay the widow and the stranger,
And murder the fatherless.
7 aYet they say, “The Lord does not see,
Nor does the God of Jacob understand.”
8 Understand, you senseless among the people;
And you fools, when will you be wise?
9 aHe who planted the ear, shall He not hear?
He who formed the eye, shall He not see?
10 He who instructs the nations, shall He not correct,
He who teaches man knowledge?
11 The Lord aknows the thoughts of man,
That they are futile.
12 Blessed is the man whom You ainstruct, O Lord,
And teach out of Your law,
13 That You may give him rest from the days of adversity,
Until the pit is dug for the wicked.
14 For the Lord will not cast off His people,
Nor will He forsake His inheritance.
15 But judgment will return to righteousness,
And all the upright in heart will follow it.
16 Who will rise up for me against the evildoers?
Who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity?
17 Unless the Lord had been my help,
My soul would soon have settled in silence.
18 If I say, “My foot slips,”
Your mercy, O Lord, will hold me up.
19 In the multitude of my anxieties within me,
Your comforts delight my soul.
20 Shall athe throne of iniquity, which devises evil by law,
Have fellowship with You?
21 They gather together against the life of the righteous,
And condemn ainnocent blood.
22 But the Lord has been my defense,
And my God the rock of my refuge.
23 He has brought on them their own iniquity,
And shall cut them off in their own wickedness;
The Lord our God shall cut them off.
The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson.
All rights reserved.