Woe to the nations that rise up against my people: Woe in this context refers to “doom” or “destruction” that will be caused by God. Rise up against means to “oppose” or “attack.” So alternative ways to render this first sentence are “The nations who oppose my people are doomed [or, fall into ruin]” and “All nations that oppose Israel will fall into ruin” (Contemporary English Version). We may show that God is the one who causes the punishment (see the following lines), and translate “God will destroy the people of all nations who oppose my people.”

Here the psalm shifts back to the first person singular, which is followed even by Good News Translation: my people. If one has been rendering my as “our,” as in Good News Translation (16.5-12), one could also do so here, despite the first person singular pronoun in verse 13, which clearly opens a new section of the psalm (compare verse 1).

Fire and worms he will give to their flesh: This is more clearly expressed in Good News Translation with “He will send fire and worms to devour their bodies.” Compare Isa 66.24; Sir 7.17; Mark 9.48.

A possible model for this verse is:

• God will destroy any nation who opposes my people!
The Lord Almighty will punish them on Judgment Day.
He will send fire and worms to devour their bodies
and they will weep in pain forever.

Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Judith. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.