The Lord Implored to Avenge His People.

94 Lord, God of [a](A)vengeance,
God of [b]vengeance, [c](B)shine forth!
(C)Rise up, (D)Judge of the earth,
Pay back retribution (E)to the proud.
How long, Lord, shall the wicked—
How long shall the (F)wicked triumph?
They pour out words, they (G)speak arrogantly;
All who do injustice (H)boast.
They (I)crush Your people, Lord,
And (J)afflict Your inheritance.
They (K)kill the widow and the stranger
And murder the orphans.
(L)They have said, “[d]The Lord does not see,
Nor does the God of Jacob perceive.”

Pay attention, you (M)stupid ones among the people;
And when will you understand, (N)foolish ones?
He who (O)planted the ear, [e]does He not hear?
Or He who formed the eye, [f]does He not see?
10 He who [g](P)disciplines the nations, will He not rebuke,
He who (Q)teaches mankind knowledge?
11 The Lord (R)knows human thoughts,
[h]That they are mere breath.

12 Blessed is the man whom (S)You discipline, [i]Lord,
And (T)whom You teach from Your Law,
13 So that You may grant him (U)relief from the (V)days of adversity,
Until (W)a pit is dug for the wicked.
14 For (X)the Lord will not abandon His people,
Nor will He (Y)abandon His inheritance.
15 For [j](Z)judgment [k]will again be righteous,
And all the upright in heart [l]will follow it.
16 Who will (AA)stand up for me against evildoers?
Who will take his stand for me (AB)against those who do injustice?

17 If (AC)the Lord had not been my help,
My soul would soon have dwelt in the land of silence.
18 If I should say, “(AD)My foot has slipped,”
Your faithfulness, Lord, will support me.
19 When my anxious thoughts [m]multiply within me,
Your (AE)comfort delights my soul.
20 Can a [n](AF)throne of destruction be allied with You,
One (AG)which devises [o]mischief by decree?
21 They (AH)band themselves together against the [p]life of the righteous
And (AI)condemn [q]the innocent to death.
22 But the Lord has been my (AJ)refuge,
And my God the (AK)rock of my refuge.
23 He has (AL)brought back their injustice upon them,
And He will [r](AM)destroy them in their evil;
The Lord our God will [s]destroy them.

Praise to the Lord and Warning against Unbelief.

95 Come, let’s (AN)sing for joy to the Lord,
Let’s shout joyfully to (AO)the rock of our salvation.
Let’s (AP)come before His presence (AQ)with a song of thanksgiving,
Let’s shout joyfully to Him (AR)in songs with instruments.
For the Lord is a (AS)great God
And a great King (AT)above all gods,
In whose hand are the (AU)depths of the earth,
The peaks of the mountains are also His.
[t]The sea is His, for it was He (AV)who made it,
And His hands formed the dry land.

Come, let’s (AW)worship and bow down,
Let’s (AX)kneel before the Lord our (AY)Maker.
For He is our God,
And (AZ)we are the people of His [u](BA)pasture and the sheep of His hand.
(BB)Today, [v]if you will hear His voice,
Do not harden your hearts as at [w](BC)Meribah,
As on the day of [x](BD)Massah in the wilderness,
“When your fathers (BE)put Me to the test,
They tested Me, though they had seen My work.
10 For (BF)forty years I was disgusted with that generation,
And said they are a people who err in their heart,
And they do not know My ways.
11 Therefore I (BG)swore in My anger,
They certainly shall not enter My (BH)rest.”

A Call to Worship the Lord the Righteous Judge.

96 (BI)Sing to the Lord a (BJ)new song;
Sing to the Lord, all the earth.
Sing to the Lord, bless His name;
(BK)Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day.
Tell of (BL)His glory among the nations,
His wonderful deeds among all the peoples.
For (BM)great is the Lord, and (BN)greatly to be praised;
He is to be (BO)feared (BP)above all gods.
For (BQ)all the gods of the peoples are [y]idols,
But (BR)the Lord made the heavens.
(BS)Splendor and majesty are before Him,
Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary.

[z]Ascribe to the Lord, you (BT)families of the peoples,
[aa](BU)Ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
[ab]Ascribe to the Lord the (BV)glory of His name;
Bring an [ac](BW)offering and come into His courtyards.
(BX)Worship the Lord in [ad]holy attire;
(BY)Tremble before Him, all the earth.
10 Say among the nations, “(BZ)The Lord reigns;
Indeed, the (CA)world is firmly established, it will not be moved;
He will (CB)judge the peoples fairly.”

11 May the (CC)heavens be joyful, and may the (CD)earth rejoice;
May (CE)the sea [ae]roar, and [af]all it contains;
12 May the (CF)field be jubilant, and all that is in it.
Then all the (CG)trees of the forest will sing for joy
13 Before the Lord, (CH)for He is coming,
For He is coming to judge the earth.
(CI)He will judge the world in righteousness,
And the peoples in His faithfulness.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 94:1 Or avenging acts
  2. Psalm 94:1 Or avenging acts
  3. Psalm 94:1 Or has shone forth
  4. Psalm 94:7 Heb Yah
  5. Psalm 94:9 Or can
  6. Psalm 94:9 Or can
  7. Psalm 94:10 Or instructs
  8. Psalm 94:11 Or For
  9. Psalm 94:12 Heb Yah
  10. Psalm 94:15 I.e., administration of justice
  11. Psalm 94:15 Lit will return to righteousness
  12. Psalm 94:15 Lit will be after it
  13. Psalm 94:19 Or are many
  14. Psalm 94:20 Or tribunal
  15. Psalm 94:20 Or trouble, misfortune
  16. Psalm 94:21 Or soul
  17. Psalm 94:21 Lit innocent blood
  18. Psalm 94:23 Or silence
  19. Psalm 94:23 Or silence
  20. Psalm 95:5 Lit Who has the sea
  21. Psalm 95:7 Lit pasturing
  22. Psalm 95:7 Or O that you would obey
  23. Psalm 95:8 Or place of strife
  24. Psalm 95:8 Or temptation
  25. Psalm 96:5 Or non-existent things
  26. Psalm 96:7 Lit Give
  27. Psalm 96:7 Lit Give
  28. Psalm 96:8 Lit Give
  29. Psalm 96:8 Or meal offering
  30. Psalm 96:9 Or the splendor of holiness
  31. Psalm 96:11 Or thunder
  32. Psalm 96:11 Lit its fullness

Bible Gateway Recommends