[1] The LORD is a God who punishes people. God, come punish them. [2] You are the judge of the whole earth. Give proud people the punishment they deserve. [3] LORD, how long will the wicked have their fun? How much longer? [4] How much longer will those criminals brag about the evil they did? [5] LORD, they hurt your people and make them suffer. [6] They kill widows and foreigners living in our country. They murder orphans. [7] And they say the LORD does not see them doing these evil things! They say the God of Jacob does not know what is happening. [8] You evil people are foolish. When will you learn your lesson? You are so stupid! You must try to understand. [9] God made our ears, so surely he can hear what is happening! He made our eyes, so surely he can see you! [10] The one who disciplines nations will surely correct you. He is the one who teaches us everything. [11] The LORD knows what people are thinking. He knows that their thoughts are like a puff of wind. [12] LORD, great blessings belong to those you discipline, to those you teach from your law. [13] You help them stay calm when trouble comes. You will help them until the wicked are put in their graves. [14] The LORD will not leave his people. He will not leave them without help. [15] Justice will return and bring fairness. And those who want to do right will be there to see it. [16] No one helped me fight against the wicked. No one stood with me against those who do evil. [17] And if the LORD had not helped me, I would have been silenced by death. [18] I know I was ready to fall, but, LORD, your faithful love supported me. [19] I was very worried and upset, but you comforted me and made me happy! [20] You don't help crooked judges. They use the law to make life hard for the people. [21] They attack those who do right. They say innocent people are guilty and put them to death. [22] But the LORD is my place of safety, high on the mountain. God, my Rock, is my safe place! [23] He will punish those evil judges for the bad things they did. He will destroy them because they sinned. The LORD our God will destroy them.
