Psalms 10

1 Why do you keep far away, O Lord? why are you not to be seen in times of trouble?

Why, YHWH, do You stand at a distance? Do You hide in times of adversity?

2 The evil-doer in his pride is cruel to the poor; let him be taken by the tricks of his invention.

Through the pride of the wicked, Is the poor inflamed, They are caught in schemes that they devised.

3 For the evil-doer is lifted up because of the purpose of his heart, and he whose mind is fixed on wealth is turned away from the Lord, saying evil against him.

Because the wicked has boasted Of the desire of his soul, And he has blessed a dishonest gainer, He has despised YHWH.

4 The evil-doer in his pride says, God will not make a search. All his thoughts are, There is no God.

The wicked does not inquire according to the height of his face. “There is no God!” [are] all his schemes.

5 His ways are ever fixed; your decisions are higher than he may see: as for his haters, they are as nothing to him.

His ways writhe at all times, Your judgments [are] on high before him, All his adversaries—he puffs at them.

6 He has said in his heart, I will not be moved: through all generations I will never be in trouble.

He has said in his heart, “I am not moved, [And am] not in calamity to generation and generation.”

7 His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and false words: under his tongue are evil purposes and dark thoughts.

His mouth is full of oaths, And deceits, and fraud: Under his tongue [is] perverseness and iniquity,

8 He is waiting in the dark places of the towns: in the secret places he puts to death those who have done no wrong: his eyes are secretly turned against the poor.

He sits in an ambush of the villages, He slays the innocent in secret places. His eyes secretly watch for the afflicted,

9 He keeps himself in a secret place like a lion in his hole, waiting to put his hands on the poor man, and pulling him into his net.

He lies in wait in a secret place, as a lion in a covert. He lies in wait to catch the poor, He catches the poor, drawing him into his net.

10 The upright are crushed and made low, and the feeble are overcome by his strong ones.

He is bruised—he bows down, The afflicted has fallen by his mighty ones.

11 He says in his heart, God has no memory of me: his face is turned away; he will never see it.

He said in his heart, “God has forgotten, He has hid His face, He has never seen.”

12 Up! O Lord; let your hand be lifted: give thought to the poor.

Arise, O YHWH! O God, lift up Your hand! Do not forget the humble.

13 Why has the evil-doer a low opinion of God, saying in his heart, You will not make search for it?

Why has the wicked despised God? He has said in his heart, “It is not required.”

14 You have seen it; for your eyes are on sorrow and grief, to take it into your hand: the poor man puts his faith in you; you have been the helper of the child who has no father.

You have seen, For You behold perverseness and anger; By giving into Your hand, The afflicted leave [it] on You, You have been a helper of the fatherless.

15 Let the arm of the sinner and the evil-doer be broken; go on searching for his sin till there is no more.

Break the arm of the wicked and the evil, Seek out his wickedness, find none;

16 The Lord is King for ever and ever; the nations are gone from his land.

YHWH [is] King for all time and forever, The nations have perished out of His land!

17 Lord, you have given ear to the prayer of the poor: you will make strong their hearts, you will give them a hearing:

You have heard the desire of the humble, O YHWH. You prepare their heart; You cause Your ear to attend,

18 To give decision for the child without a father and for the broken-hearted, so that the man of the earth may no longer be feared.

To judge the fatherless and bruised: He adds no more to oppress—man of the earth!