Psalms 10
1 Why standest thou afar off, O LORD? why hidest thou thyself in times of trouble?
Why, Yahweh, do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself 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.
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 heart’s desire, and blesseth the covetous, whom the LORD abhorreth.
For the wicked person boasts of his deepest desires; he blesses the greedy and insults Yahweh.
4 The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts.
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 are always grievous; thy judgments are far above out of his sight: as for all his enemies, 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 hath said in his heart, I shall not be moved: for I shall never be in 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 fraud: under his tongue is mischief and vanity.
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 murder the innocent: his eyes are secretly set against the poor.
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 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 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, and humbleth himself, that the poor may fall by his strong ones.
His victims are crushed and beaten down; they fall into his strong nets.
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 forgotten; he covers his face; he will not bother to look.”
12 Arise, O LORD; O God, lift up thy hand: forget not the humble.
Arise, Yahweh! Lift up your hand, God! Do not forget the oppressed.
13 Why doth the wicked despise 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 beholdest mischief and spite, to repay it with thy hand: the poor committeth himself to thee; thou art 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 the evil man: seek out his wickedness till thou shalt 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 The LORD is King for ever and ever: the heathen have perished out of his land.
Yahweh is King forever and ever; the nations are driven out of his land.
17 LORD, thou hast heard the desire of the humble: thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thy ear to hear:
Yahweh, you have heard the needs of the oppressed; you strengthen their heart, you listen to their prayer;
18 To judge the fatherless and the oppressed, that the man of the earth may no more oppress.
You defend the fatherless and the oppressed so that no man on the earth will cause terror again.
