Psalm 94 calls on the God of justice to judge the proud who oppress widows, strangers and orphans: “The Lord is the God to whom revenge belongeth: the God of revenge hath acted freely.” It ends with one of Scripture’s most comforting verses: “According to the multitude of my sorrows in my heart, thy comforts have given joy to my soul.” In the Douay-Rheims it is numbered Psalm 93. Below is the full Catholic text, what the psalm means, how the Church uses it, and a prayer.
Psalm 94 in the Douay-Rheims Bible
The Lord is the God to whom revenge belongeth: the God of revenge hath acted freely.
Lift up thyself, thou that judgest the earth: render a reward to the proud.
How long shall sinners, O Lord: how long shall sinners glory?
Shall they utter, and speak iniquity: shall all speak who work injustice?
Thy people, O Lord, they have brought low: and they have afflicted thy inheritance.
They have slain the widow and the stranger: and they have murdered the fatherless.
And they have said: The Lord shall not see: neither shall the God of Jacob understand.
Understand, ye senseless among the people: and, you fools, be wise at last.
He that planted the ear, shall he not hear? or he that formed the eye, doth he not consider?
He that chastiseth nations, shall he not rebuke: he that teacheth man knowledge?
The Lord knoweth the thoughts of men, that they are vain.
Blessed is the man whom thou shalt instruct, O Lord: and shalt teach him out of thy law.
That thou mayst give him rest from the evil days: till a pit be dug for the wicked.
For the Lord will not cast off his people: neither will he forsake his own inheritance.
Until justice be turned into judgment: and they that are near it are all the upright in heart.
Who shall rise up for me against the evildoers? or who shall stand with me against the workers of iniquity?
Unless the Lord had been my helper, my soul had almost dwelt in hell.
If I said: My foot is moved: thy mercy, O Lord, assisted me.
According to the multitude of my sorrows in my heart, thy comforts have given joy to my soul.
Doth the seat of iniquity stick to thee, who framest labour in commandment?
They will hunt after the soul of the just, and will condemn innocent blood.
But the Lord is my refuge: and my God the help of my hope.
And he will render them their iniquity: and in their malice he will destroy them: the Lord our God will destroy them.
Psalm 94 or Psalm 93?
The Douay-Rheims Bible follows the numbering of the Latin Vulgate and the Greek Septuagint, while most modern Bibles follow the Hebrew. So the Douay’s Psalm 93 is Psalm 94 in the New American Bible and other modern translations. In Latin the psalm begins Deus ultionum Dominus. See how many psalms are there?
What the psalm means
- Justice belongs to God: vengeance is God’s, not ours (Romans 12:19).
- Does God not see? “He that planted the ear, shall he not hear? or he that formed the eye, doth he not consider?”
- The blessing of discipline: “Blessed is the man whom thou shalt instruct, O Lord.”
- Mercy in slipping: “If I said: My foot is moved: thy mercy, O Lord, assisted me.”
- Comfort in many cares: God’s consolations give joy to an anxious heart.
How the Church uses Psalm 94
- In the Liturgy of the Hours.
- For the anxious and the oppressed. See psalms for anxiety.
A prayer with Psalm 94
Written for this page:
Lord, God of justice, arise and defend the widow, the stranger and the orphan.
You who made the ear hear every cry; you who made the eye see every wrong.
When my foot slips, let your mercy hold me up.
When cares multiply within me, let your consolations cheer my soul. Amen.
Frequently asked questions
Where is “When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy”?
Psalm 94:19 in modern Bibles (93:19 in the Douay-Rheims: “According to the multitude of my sorrows in my heart, thy comforts have given joy to my soul”).
What is Psalm 94 about?
An appeal to God as judge against the proud who oppress the weak, and trust in his comfort and mercy.
More psalms and prayers
Texts and sources
- Scripture: Psalm 93 (94); Romans 12:19, Douay-Rheims Bible (Challoner), public domain.
- The prayer was written for this page.