1O LORD, the God of vengeance,

O God of vengeance, let your glorious justice shine forth!

2Arise, O Judge of the earth.

Give the proud what they deserve.

3How long, O LORD?

How long will the wicked be allowed to gloat?

4How long will they speak with arrogance?

How long will these evil people boast?

5They crush your people, LORD,

hurting those you claim as your own.

6They kill widows and foreigners

and murder orphans.

7“The LORD isn’t looking,” they say,

“and besides, the God of Israela doesn’t care.”

8Think again, you fools!

When will you finally catch on?

9Is he deaf—the one who made your ears?

Is he blind—the one who formed your eyes?

10He punishes the nations—won’t he also punish you?

He knows everything—doesn’t he also know what you are doing?

11The LORD knows people’s thoughts;

he knows they are worthless!

12Joyful are those you discipline, LORD,

those you teach with your instructions.

13You give them relief from troubled times

until a pit is dug to capture the wicked.

14The LORD will not reject his people;

he will not abandon his special possession.

15Judgment will again be founded on justice,

and those with virtuous hearts will pursue it.

16Who will protect me from the wicked?

Who will stand up for me against evildoers?

17Unless the LORD had helped me,

I would soon have settled in the silence of the grave.

18I cried out, “I am slipping!”

but your unfailing love, O LORD, supported me.

19When doubts filled my mind,

your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer.

20Can unjust leaders claim that God is on their side—

leaders whose decrees permit injustice?

21They gang up against the righteous

and condemn the innocent to death.

22But the LORD is my fortress;

my God is the mighty rock where I hide.

23God will turn the sins of evil people back on them.

He will destroy them for their sins.

The LORD our God will destroy them.