Psalms 10

1 Why do you stand far off, LORD? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?

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

2 In arrogance, the wicked hunt down the weak. They are caught in the schemes that they devise.

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 boasts of his heart’s cravings. He blesses the greedy and condemns the LORD.

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, in the pride of his face, has no room in his thoughts for God.

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 prosperous at all times. He is arrogant, and your laws are far from his sight. As for all his adversaries, he sneers 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 says in his heart, “I shall not be shaken. For generations I shall have no trouble.”

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, deceit, and oppression. Under his tongue is mischief and iniquity.

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

8 He lies in wait near the villages. From ambushes, he murders the innocent. His eyes are secretly set against the helpless.

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 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.

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 The helpless are crushed. They collapse. They fall under his strength.

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

11 He says in his heart, “God has forgotten. He hides 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, LORD! God, lift up your hand! Don’t forget the helpless.

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

13 Why does the wicked person condemn God, and say in his heart, “God won’t call me into account”?

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

14 But you do see trouble and grief. You consider it to take it into your hand. You help the victim and 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 the arm of the wicked. As for the evil man, seek out his wickedness until you 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 forever and ever! The nations will perish out of his land.

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

17 LORD, you have heard the desire of the humble. You will prepare their heart. You will cause your 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 man who is of the earth may terrify no more.

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.