Psalms 10
1 Lord, why are you so distant? Why do you hide from me in times of trouble?
Why, Jehovah, standest thou afar off? [Why] hidest thou thyself in times of distress?
2 The wicked chase down the poor with impunity. May they be trapped by the evil schemes they themselves invented.
The wicked, in his pride, doth hotly pursue the afflicted. They shall be taken in the devices that they have imagined.
3 For the wicked boast about what they want to do. They praise the greedy, but treat the Lord with contempt.
For the wicked boasteth of his soul's desire, and he blesseth the covetous; he contemneth Jehovah.
4 The wicked are too proud to come to God. In all their thinking they never consider God.
The wicked [saith], in the haughtiness of his countenance, He doth not search out: all his thoughts are, There is no God!
5 What they do always seems to go well. They're unaware of God's judgments. They ridicule all their enemies.
His ways always succeed; thy judgments are far above out of his sight; [as for] all his adversaries, he puffeth at them.
6 They tell themselves, “Nothing bad is going to happen to me. I'll never be in trouble!”
He saith in his heart, I shall not be moved; from generation to generation I shall be in no adversity.
7 Their speech is full of cursing, lies, and threats; their tongues are always ready to spread trouble and cause evil.
His mouth is full of cursing, and deceit, and oppression; under his tongue is mischief and iniquity.
8 They hide out in ambush in the villages, ready to kill innocent passers-by. They are always on the lookout for their next victim.
He sitteth in the lurking-places of the villages; in the secret places doth he slay the innocent: his eyes watch for the wretched.
9 They lie in ambush like a lion ready to attack, ready to leap out from their hiding place to seize their victim. They capture the helpless, throwing a net over them.
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.
10 Their victims are knocked down, laid low. They fall under the strength of the wicked.
He croucheth, he boweth down, that the wretched may fall by his strong ones.
11 They tell themselves, “God won't notice. He's looking the other way. He won't ever see anything.”
He saith in his heart, God hath forgotten, he hideth his face, he will never see [it].
12 Take a stand, Lord! Raise your hand to strike! Don't forget those who can't defend themselves.
Arise, Jehovah; O God, lift up thy hand: forget not the afflicted.
13 Why do the wicked think they can treat God with such contempt? Why do they think that God won't make them accountable?
Wherefore doth the wicked contemn God? He hath said in his heart, Thou wilt not require [it].
14 But you do see the trouble and grief they cause. Take it into your own hands. The helpless trust in you; you defend the orphans.
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.
15 Destroy the power of the wicked, those evil people! Call each of them to account until there are none left!
Break thou the arm of the wicked, and as for the evil man, seek out his wickedness [till] thou find none.
16 Lord, you are King forever and ever! The nations will vanish from their lands.
Jehovah is King for ever and ever: the nations have perished out of his land.
17 Lord, you have heard the longing cries of those who are suffering. You will encourage them, for you will listen to them.
Jehovah, thou hast heard the desire of the meek, thou hast established their heart: thou causest thine ear to hear,
18 You will defend the rights of orphans and the oppressed so that those who are mere human beings here on earth will never terrorize them again.
To do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed one, that the man of the earth may terrify no more.
