Psalms 10

1 Why standest thou afar off, O LORD? [why] hidest thou [thyself] in times of trouble?

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

2 The wicked in [his] pride doth persecute the poor: let them be taken in the devices that they have imagined.

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

3 For the wicked boasteth of his heart’s desire, and blesseth the covetous, [whom] the LORD abhorreth.

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.

4 The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek [after God: ] God [is] not in all his thoughts.

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

5 His ways are always grievous; thy judgments [are] far above out of his sight: [as for] all his enemies, he puffeth at them.

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

6 He hath said in his heart, I shall not be moved: for [I shall] never [be] in adversity.

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

7 His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and fraud: under his tongue [is] mischief and vanity.

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

8 He sitteth in the lurking places of the villages: in the secret places doth he murder the innocent: his eyes are privily set against the poor.

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.

9 He lieth in wait secretly as a lion in his den: he lieth in wait to catch the poor: he doth catch the poor, when he draweth him into his net.

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.

10 He croucheth, [and] humbleth himself, that the poor may fall by his strong ones.

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

11 He hath said in his heart, God hath forgotten: he hideth his face; he will never see [it].

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

12 Arise, O LORD; O God, lift up thine hand: forget not the humble.

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

13 Wherefore doth the wicked contemn God? he hath said in his heart, Thou wilt not require [it].

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

14 Thou hast seen [it; ] for thou beholdest mischief and spite, to requite [it] with thy hand: the poor committeth himself unto thee; thou art the helper of the fatherless.

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.

15 Break thou the arm of the wicked and the evil [man: ] seek out his wickedness [till] thou find none.

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

16 The LORD [is] King for ever and ever: the heathen are perished out of his land.

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

17 LORD, thou hast heard the desire of the humble: thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear:

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

18 To judge the fatherless and the oppressed, that the man of the earth may no more oppress.

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.