Psalms 10
1 Lord, whi hast thou go fer awei? thou dispisist `in couenable tymes in tribulacioun.
Lord, why are you so distant? Why do you hide from me in times of trouble?
2 While the wickid is proud, the pore man is brent; thei ben taken in the counsels, bi whiche thei thenken.
The wicked chase down the poor with impunity. May they be trapped by the evil schemes they themselves invented.
3 Forwhi the synnere is preisid in the desiris of his soule; and the wickid is blessid.
For the wicked boast about what they want to do. They praise the greedy, but treat the Lord with contempt.
4 The synnere `wraththide the Lord; vp the multitude of his ire he schal not seke.
The wicked are too proud to come to God. In all their thinking they never consider God.
5 God is not in his siyt; hise weies ben defoulid in al tyme. God, thi domes ben takun awei fro his face; he schal be lord of alle hise enemyes.
What they do always seems to go well. They're unaware of God's judgments. They ridicule all their enemies.
6 For he seide in his herte, Y schal not be moued, fro generacioun in to generacioun without yuel.
They tell themselves, “Nothing bad is going to happen to me. I'll never be in trouble!”
7 `Whos mouth is ful of cursyng, and of bitternesse, and of gyle; trauel and sorewe is vndur his tunge.
Their speech is full of cursing, lies, and threats; their tongues are always ready to spread trouble and cause evil.
8 He sittith in aspies with ryche men in priuytees; to sle the innocent man.
They hide out in ambush in the villages, ready to kill innocent passers-by. They are always on the lookout for their next victim.
9 Hise iyen biholden on a pore man; he settith aspies in hid place, as a lioun in his denne. He settith aspies, for to rauysche a pore man; for to rauysche a pore man, while he drawith the pore man.
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.
10 In his snare he schal make meke the pore man; he schal bowe hym silf, and schal falle doun, whanne he hath be lord of pore men.
Their victims are knocked down, laid low. They fall under the strength of the wicked.
11 For he seide in his herte, God hath foryete; he hath turned awei his face, that he se not in to the ende.
They tell themselves, “God won't notice. He's looking the other way. He won't ever see anything.”
12 Lord God, rise thou vp, and thin hond be enhaunsid; foryete thou not pore men.
Take a stand, Lord! Raise your hand to strike! Don't forget those who can't defend themselves.
13 For what thing terride the wickid man God to wraththe? for he seide in his herte, God schal not seke.
Why do the wicked think they can treat God with such contempt? Why do they think that God won't make them accountable?
14 Thou seest, for thou biholdist trauel and sorewe; that thou take hem in to thin hondis. The pore man is left to thee; thou schalt be an helpere to the fadirles and modirles.
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.
15 Al to-breke thou the arme of the synnere, and yuel willid; his synne schal be souyt, and it schal not be foundun.
Destroy the power of the wicked, those evil people! Call each of them to account until there are none left!
16 The Lord schal regne with outen ende, and in to the world of world; folkis, ye schulen perische fro the lond of hym.
Lord, you are King forever and ever! The nations will vanish from their lands.
17 The Lord hath herd the desir of pore men; thin eere hath herd the makyng redi of her herte.
Lord, you have heard the longing cries of those who are suffering. You will encourage them, for you will listen to them.
18 To deme for the modirles `and meke; that a man `leie to no more to `magnyfie hym silf on erthe.
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.
