Psalms 9:18-20

9:18 for the needy are not permanently ignored, 1 

the hopes of the oppressed are not forever dashed. 2 

9:19 Rise up, Lord! 3 

Don’t let men be defiant! 4 

May the nations be judged in your presence!

9:20 Terrify them, Lord! 5 

Let the nations know they are mere mortals! 6  (Selah)

1 tn Or “forgotten.”

2 tn Heb “the hope of the afflicted does [not] perish forever.” The negative particle is understood by ellipsis; note the preceding line. The imperfect verbal forms express what typically happens.

3 sn Rise up, Lord! …May the nations be judged. The psalm concludes with a petition that the Lord would continue to exercise his justice as he has done in the recent crisis.

4 tn Or “prevail.”

5 tn Heb “place, Lord, terror with regard to them.” The Hebrew term מוֹרָה (morah, “terror”) is an alternative form of מוֹרָא (mora’; a reading that appears in some mss and finds support in several ancient textual witnesses).

6 tn Heb “let the nations know they [are] man[kind]”; i.e., mere human beings (as opposed to God).