Read the Bible

¹ The Lord is a God who punishes.
    God, show your greatness and punish!
² Rise up, Judge of the earth,
    and give the proud what they deserve.
³ How long will the wicked be happy?
    How long, Lord?

⁴ They are full of proud words;
    those who do evil brag about what they have done.
⁵ Lord, they crush your people
    and make your children suffer.
⁶ They kill widows and foreigners
    and murder orphans.
⁷ They say, "The Lord doesn't see;
    the God of Jacob doesn't notice."

⁸ You stupid ones among the people, pay attention.
    You fools, when will you understand?
⁹ Can't the creator of ears hear?
    Can't the maker of eyes see?
¹⁰ Won't the one who corrects nations punish you?
    Doesn't the teacher of people know everything?
¹¹ The Lord knows what people think.
    He knows their thoughts are just a puff of wind.

¹² Lord, those you correct are happy;
    you teach them from your law.
¹³ You give them rest from times of trouble
    until a pit is dug for the wicked.
¹⁴ The Lord won't leave his people
    nor give up his children.
¹⁵ Judgment will again be fair,
    and all who are honest will follow it.

¹⁶ Who will help me fight against the wicked?
    Who will stand with me against those who do evil?
¹⁷ If the Lord had not helped me,
    I would have died in a minute.
¹⁸ I said, "I am about to fall,"
    but, Lord, your love kept me safe.
¹⁹ I was very worried,
    but you comforted me and made me happy.

²⁰ Crooked leaders cannot be your friends.
    They use the law to cause suffering.
²¹ They join forces against people who do right
    and sentence to death the innocent.
²² But the Lord is my defender;
    my God is the rock of my protection.
²³ God will pay them back for their sins
    and will destroy them for their evil.
    The Lord our God will destroy them.