Yahweh’s People Vindicated

• 7 The way of the righteous is a straight path;
  • you clear the level path of the righteous .[fn]
• 8 Surely we wait for you in the path of your judgments, Yahweh,
  • for your name and renown are the desire of the soul.
• 9 I desire you with all my soul in the night;
  • also I seek you with my spirit within me,
• for when your judgments are upon[fn] the earth,
  • the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.

10 Though the wicked person is shown compassion, he does not learn righteousness;

• he acts unjustly in the land of uprightness,
  • and he does not see the majesty of Yahweh.

11 Yahweh, though your hand reaches high, they do not see it.

• Let them see, and let them be ashamed of the zeal of people.
  • Indeed, let the fire of your enemies consume them.
• 12 Yahweh, you will establish peace for us,
  • for you have done even all of our works for us.
• 13 Yahweh, our God, lords besides you ruled over us,
  • but we praise your name alone .[fn]
• 14 The dead do not live;
  • dead spirits do not rise
• because you have punished and destroyed them,
  • and you have destroyed all memory of them.
• 15 You have added to the nation, Yahweh.
  • You have added to the nation; you are honored.
  • You have extended all the ends of the land.
• 16 Yahweh, in distress they have visited you;
  • they poured out an incantation ;[fn]
  • your discipline was on them.
• 17 Like a pregnant woman on the point of giving birth, she writhes;
  • she cries in her labor pains.

So we were because of your presence, Yahweh.

• 18 We became pregnant, we writhed;
  • we gave birth to wind.
• We cannot bring about deliverance on the earth,
  • and no inhabitants of the world are born.
• 19 Your dead shall live; their corpses[fn] shall rise.
  • Wake up and sing for joy, dwellers of the dust,
• for your dew is celestial dew ,[fn]
  • and the earth will give birth to dead spirits.[fn]
• 20 Go, my people, enter into your chambers
  • and shut your doors[fn] behind you;
• hide for a very little[fn] while,
  • until the wrath has passed over.
• 21 For look! Yahweh is about to come out from his place
  • to punish the iniquity of the inhabitants[fn] of the earth against him,
• and the earth will disclose her blood
  • and will no longer cover her slain.