When It Feels Like Nobody's Watching.

אֵל־נְקָמ֥וֹת יְהוָ֑ה אֵ֖ל נְקָמ֣וֹת הוֹפִֽיַע׃

O Lord , God of vengeance, O God of vengeance, shine forth!

הִ֭נָּשֵׂא שֹׁפֵ֣ט הָאָ֑רֶץ הָשֵׁ֥ב גְּ֝מ֗וּל עַל־גֵּאִֽים׃

[2] Rise up, O judge of the earth; repay to the proud what they deserve!

עַד־מָתַ֖י רְשָׁעִ֥ים׀ יְהוָ֑ה עַד־מָ֝תַ֗י רְשָׁעִ֥ים יַעֲלֹֽזוּ׃

[3] O Lord , how long shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked exult?

יַבִּ֣יעוּ יְדַבְּר֣וּ עָתָ֑ק יִֽ֝תְאַמְּר֗וּ כָּל־פֹּ֥עֲלֵי אָֽוֶן׃

[4] They pour out their arrogant words; all the evildoers boast.

עַמְּךָ֣ יְהוָ֣ה יְדַכְּא֑וּ וְֽנַחֲלָתְךָ֥ יְעַנּֽוּ׃

[5] They crush your people, O Lord , and afflict your heritage.

אַ֭לְמָנָה וְגֵ֣ר יַהֲרֹ֑גוּ וִֽיתוֹמִ֣ים יְרַצֵּֽחוּ׃

[6] They kill the widow and the sojourner, and murder the fatherless;

וַ֭יֹּ֣אמְרוּ לֹ֣א יִרְאֶה־יָּ֑הּ וְלֹא־יָ֝בִ֗ין אֱלֹהֵ֥י יַעֲקֹֽב׃

[7] and they say, “The Lord does not see; the God of Jacob does not perceive.”

בִּ֭ינוּ בֹּעֲרִ֣ים בָּעָ֑ם וּ֝כְסִילִ֗ים מָתַ֥י תַּשְׂכִּֽילוּ׃

[8] Understand, O dullest of the people! Fools, when will you be wise?

הֲנֹ֣טַֽע אֹ֖זֶן הֲלֹ֣א יִשְׁמָ֑ע אִֽם־יֹ֥צֵֽר עַ֝֗יִן הֲלֹ֣א יַבִּֽיט׃

[9] He who planted the ear, does he not hear? He who formed the eye, does he not see?

הֲיֹסֵ֣ר גּ֭וֹיִם הֲלֹ֣א יוֹכִ֑יחַ הַֽמְלַמֵּ֖ד אָדָ֣ם דָּֽעַת׃

[10] He who disciplines the nations, does he not rebuke? He who teaches man knowledge—

יְֽהוָ֗ה יֹ֭דֵעַ מַחְשְׁב֣וֹת אָדָ֑ם כִּי־הֵ֥מָּה הָֽבֶל׃

[11] the Lord —knows the thoughts of man, that they are but a breath.

אַשְׁרֵ֤י׀ הַגֶּ֣בֶר אֲשֶׁר־תְּיַסְּרֶ֣נּוּ יָּ֑הּ וּֽמִתּוֹרָתְךָ֥ תְלַמְּדֶֽנּוּ׃

[12] Blessed is the man whom you discipline, O Lord , and whom you teach out of your law,

לְהַשְׁקִ֣יט ל֖וֹ מִ֣ימֵי רָ֑ע עַ֤ד יִכָּרֶ֖ה לָרָשָׁ֣ע שָֽׁחַת׃

[13] to give him rest from days of trouble, until a pit is dug for the wicked.

כִּ֤י׀ לֹא־יִטֹּ֣שׁ יְהוָ֣ה עַמּ֑וֹ וְ֝נַחֲלָת֗וֹ לֹ֣א יַעֲזֹֽב׃

[14] For the Lord will not forsake his people; he will not abandon his heritage;

כִּֽי־עַד־צֶ֭דֶק יָשׁ֣וּב מִשְׁפָּ֑ט וְ֝אַחֲרָ֗יו כָּל־יִשְׁרֵי־לֵֽב׃

[15] for justice will return to the righteous, and all the upright in heart will follow it.

מִֽי־יָק֣וּם לִ֭י עִם־מְרֵעִ֑ים מִֽי־יִתְיַצֵּ֥ב לִ֝י עִם־פֹּ֥עֲלֵי אָֽוֶן׃

[16] Who rises up for me against the wicked? Who stands up for me against evildoers?

לוּלֵ֣י יְ֭הוָה עֶזְרָ֣תָה לִּ֑י כִּמְעַ֓ט׀ שָֽׁכְנָ֖ה דוּמָ֣ה נַפְשִֽׁי׃

[17] If the Lord had not been my help, my soul would soon have lived in the land of silence.

אִם־אָ֭מַרְתִּי מָ֣טָה רַגְלִ֑י חַסְדְּךָ֥ יְ֝הוָ֗ה יִסְעָדֵֽנִי׃

[18] When I thought, “My foot slips,” your steadfast love, O Lord , held me up.

בְּרֹ֣ב שַׂרְעַפַּ֣י בְּקִרְבִּ֑י תַּ֝נְחוּמֶ֗יךָ יְֽשַׁעַשְׁע֥וּ נַפְשִֽׁי׃

[19] When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul.

הַֽ֭יְחָבְרְךָ כִּסֵּ֣א הַוּ֑וֹת יֹצֵ֖ר עָמָ֣ל עֲלֵי־חֹֽק׃

[20] Can wicked rulers be allied with you, those who frame injustice by statute?

יָ֭גוֹדּוּ עַל־נֶ֣פֶשׁ צַדִּ֑יק וְדָ֖ם נָקִ֣י יַרְשִֽׁיעוּ׃

[21] They band together against the life of the righteous and condemn the innocent to death.

וַיְהִ֬י יְהוָ֣ה לִ֣י לְמִשְׂגָּ֑ב וֵ֝אלֹהַ֗י לְצ֣וּר מַחְסִֽי׃

[22] But the Lord has become my stronghold, and my God the rock of my refuge.

וַיָּ֤שֶׁב עֲלֵיהֶ֨ם׀ אֶת־אוֹנָ֗ם וּבְרָעָתָ֥ם יַצְמִיתֵ֑ם יַ֝צְמִיתֵ֗ם יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ׃

[23] He will bring back on them their iniquity and wipe them out for their wickedness; the Lord our God will wipe them out.