Psalms 10

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

Why stand you afar off, O Lord? [why] do you overlook [us] in times of need, in affliction?

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

While the ungodly one acts proudly, the poor is hotly pursued: [the wicked] are taken in the crafty counsels which they imagine.

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

Because the sinner praises himself for the desires of his heart; and the unjust one blesses himself.

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

The sinner has provoked the Lord: according to the abundance of his pride he will not seek after [him]: God is not before him.

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

His ways are profane at all times; your judgments are removed from before him: he will gain the mastery over all his enemies.

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

For he has said in his heart, I shall not be moved, [continuing] without evil from generation to generation.

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

Whose mouth is full of cursing, and bitterness, and fraud: under his tongue are trouble and pain.

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

He lies in wait with rich [men] in secret places, in order to kill the innocent: his eyes are set against the poor.

9 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.

He lies in wait in secret as a lion in his den: he lies in wait to ravish the poor, to ravish the poor when he draws him [after him]: he will bring him down in his snare.

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

He will bow down and fall when he has mastered the poor.

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

For he has said in his heart, God has forgotten: he has turned away his face so as never to look.

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

Arise, O Lord God; let your hand be lifted up: forget not the poor.

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

Therefore, has the wicked provoked God? for he has said in his heart, He will not require [it].

14 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.

You see [it]; for you do observe trouble and wrath, to deliver them into your hands: the poor has been left to you; you were a helper to the orphan.

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

Break you the arm of the sinner and wicked man: his sin shall be sought for, and shall not be found.

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

The Lord shall reign for ever, even for ever and ever: you Gentiles shall perish out his land.

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

The Lord has heard the desire of the poor: your ear has inclined to the preparation of their heart;

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

to plead for the orphan and afflicted, that man may no more boast upon the earth.