Psalms 10
1 Why, Jehovah, standest thou afar off? [Why] hidest thou thyself in times of distress?
Why, Yahweh, do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?
2 The wicked, in his pride, doth hotly pursue the afflicted. They shall be taken in the devices that they have imagined.
Because of their arrogance, wicked people chase the oppressed; but please let the wicked be trapped by their own schemes that they have devised.
3 For the wicked boasteth of his soul's desire, and he blesseth the covetous; he contemneth Jehovah.
For the wicked person boasts of his deepest desires; he blesses the greedy and insults Yahweh.
4 The wicked [saith], in the haughtiness of his countenance, He doth not search out: all his thoughts are, There is no God!
The wicked man has a raised face; he does not seek God. He never thinks about God because he does not care at all about him.
5 His ways always succeed; thy judgments are far above out of his sight; [as for] all his adversaries, he puffeth at them.
He is secure at all times, but your righteous decrees are too high for him; he snorts at all his enemies.
6 He saith in his heart, I shall not be moved; from generation to generation I shall be in no adversity.
He says in his heart,” I will never fail; throughout all generations I will not meet adversity.”
7 His mouth is full of cursing, and deceit, and oppression; under his tongue is mischief and iniquity.
His mouth is full of cursing and deceptive, harmful words; his tongue injures and destroys.
8 He sitteth in the lurking-places of the villages; in the secret places doth he slay the innocent: his eyes watch for the wretched.
He waits in ambush near the villages; in the secret places he murders the innocent; his eyes look for some helpless victim.
9 He lieth in wait secretly, like a lion in his thicket; he lieth in wait to catch the afflicted: he doth catch the afflicted, drawing him into his net.
He lurks in secret like a lion in the thicket; he lies in wait to catch the oppressed. He catches the oppressed when he pulls in his net.
10 He croucheth, he boweth down, that the wretched may fall by his strong ones.
His victims are crushed and beaten down; they fall into his strong nets.
11 He saith in his heart, God hath forgotten, he hideth his face, he will never see [it].
He says in his heart, “God has forgotten; he covers his face; he will not bother to look.”
12 Arise, Jehovah; O God, lift up thy hand: forget not the afflicted.
Arise, Yahweh! Lift up your hand, God! Do not forget the oppressed.
13 Wherefore doth the wicked contemn God? He hath said in his heart, Thou wilt not require [it].
Why does the wicked man reject God and say in his heart, “You will not hold me accountable”?
14 Thou hast seen [it], for thou thyself beholdest trouble and vexation, to requite by thy hand. The wretched committeth himself unto thee; thou hast been the helper of the fatherless.
You have taken notice, for you always see the one who inflicts the misery and sorrow. The helpless entrusts himself to you; you rescue the fatherless.
15 Break thou the arm of the wicked, and as for the evil man, seek out his wickedness [till] thou find none.
Break the arm of the wicked and evil man. Make him account for his evil deeds, which he thought you would not discover.
16 Jehovah is King for ever and ever: the nations have perished out of his land.
Yahweh is King forever and ever; the nations are driven out of his land.
17 Jehovah, thou hast heard the desire of the meek, thou hast established their heart: thou causest thine ear to hear,
Yahweh, you have heard the needs of the oppressed; you strengthen their heart, you listen to their prayer;
18 To do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed one, that the man of the earth may terrify no more.
You defend the fatherless and the oppressed so that no man on the earth will cause terror again.
