Psalms
Chapter 94
God, Advocate of the Righteous
O Lord God, vengeance is yours; O God, who avenges, show yourself!
Judge of the world, repay the proud with what they deserve.
How long shall the wicked, O Lord, how long shall the wicked exult?
Pouring out words of arrogance, evildoers make a show of their insolence.
They crush your people, O Lord; they oppress your inheritance.
They murder the widow and the lonely; they massacre the helpless;
“The Lord does not see,” they say, “the God of Jacob does not care.”
Remember this, you stupid people; when will you understand, you fools!
He who made the ear, will he not hear? He who formed the eye, will he not see?
He who rebukes nations, will he not punish them?
The Lord knows the thoughts of humans, that they are a puff of wind.
Fortunate the one you correct, O Lord, the one you teach your law;
you give them relief from distress, while a pit is dug for the wicked.
The Lord will not reject his people, nor will he forsake his heritage.
Justice will return to the just; and the upright will follow, in its wake.
Who stands up for me against the wicked? Who stands by me against evildoers?
Had the Lord not helped me, I would have fallen into the silence of death.
No sooner did I say, “My foot is slipping,” your kindness, O Lord, held me up.
The more worries and trouble assailed me, the more you consoled me.
You shun wicked rulers, who impose injustice by law.
They plot together, against the virtuous, and condemn the innocent.
But the Lord is my stronghold, my God, my rock of refuge.
He will repay them for their evil and destroy them for their wickedness; the Lord, our God, will blot them out.
Commentaries
94
We sometimes ask ourselves, ‘Is it all worthwhile?’ Religion does not seem to make much difference and certainly does not make us happier. However, despite all the difficulties, we know that God does care. He has redeemed us. And if we believe in redemption, then we must believe in judgment. He cares for and cares about us: what people do does matter. However, the difficulties persist, and we still need this profound act of faith in God, who cares.
The psalmist appears quite preoccupied with his neighbor. Knowing that it would trouble us too, Jesus offered us a solution when he said, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’ (Mk 12:31). Also, ‘Do not judge and you will not be judged’ (Mt 7:1) and ‘Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you’ (Mt 5:44). If we follow these basic principles, which Jesus has taught us, we will not worry about what happens all around us. Instead, it will bring us calm and peace and reassure us of our lives here and in heaven.