Psalms 10
1 Lord, why are you so distant? Why do you hide from me in times of trouble?
Why do you stand far off, LORD? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?
2 The wicked chase down the poor with impunity. May they be trapped by the evil schemes they themselves invented.
In arrogance, the wicked hunt down the weak. They are caught in the schemes that they devise.
3 For the wicked boast about what they want to do. They praise the greedy, but treat the Lord with contempt.
For the wicked boasts of his heart’s cravings. He blesses the greedy and condemns the LORD.
4 The wicked are too proud to come to God. In all their thinking they never consider God.
The wicked, in the pride of his face, has no room in his thoughts for God.
5 What they do always seems to go well. They're unaware of God's judgments. They ridicule all their enemies.
His ways are prosperous at all times. He is arrogant, and your laws are far from his sight. As for all his adversaries, he sneers at them.
6 They tell themselves, “Nothing bad is going to happen to me. I'll never be in trouble!”
He says in his heart, “I shall not be shaken. For generations I shall have no trouble.”
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, 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 lies in wait near the villages. From ambushes, he murders the innocent. His eyes are secretly set against the helpless.
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 lurks in secret as a lion in his ambush. He lies in wait to catch the helpless. He catches the helpless when he draws him in his net.
10 Their victims are knocked down, laid low. They fall under the strength of the wicked.
The helpless are crushed. They collapse. They fall under his strength.
11 They tell themselves, “God won't notice. He's looking the other way. He won't ever see anything.”
He says in his heart, “God has forgotten. He hides 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, LORD! God, lift up your hand! Don’t forget the helpless.
13 Why do the wicked think they can treat God with such contempt? Why do they think that God won't make them accountable?
Why does the wicked person condemn God, and say in his heart, “God won’t call me into account”?
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.
But you do see trouble and grief. You consider it to take it into your hand. You help the victim and the fatherless.
15 Destroy the power of the wicked, those evil people! Call each of them to account until there are none left!
Break the arm of the wicked. As for the evil man, seek out his wickedness until you find none.
16 Lord, you are King forever and ever! The nations will vanish from their lands.
The LORD is King forever and ever! The nations will perish 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.
LORD, you have heard the desire of the humble. You will prepare their heart. You will cause your 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 judge the fatherless and the oppressed, that man who is of the earth may terrify no more.
