Psalms 10

1 Why do you stand, Lord, so far away, hiding yourself in times of trouble?

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

2 The wicked, in their pride, are pursuing the helpless: let them be caught in the schemes they have plotted.

In the pride of the wicked the poor is hotly pursued; let them be taken in the devices that they have imagined.

3 For the wicked boasts of their wanton greed; the robber despises the Lord, and curses him,

For the wicked boasteth of his heart’s desire, and the covetous renounceth, [yea], contemneth the LORD.

4 in wicked pride, thinks: God doesn’t care, God doesn’t call to account.

The wicked, in the pride of his countenance, [saith], He will not require [it]. All his thoughts are, There is no God.

5 Never a season that they do not prosper; your judgments are far above out of their sight: they scoff at their foes.

His ways are firm at all times; thy judgments are far above out of his sight: as for all his adversaries, he puffeth at them.

6 Each says in their heart, ‘I will never be shaken; I will live for all time untouched by misfortune.’

He saith in his heart, I shall not be moved: to all generations I shall not be in adversity.

7 Their mouths are full of deceit and oppression: under their tongues lurks mischief and wrong.

His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and oppression: under his tongue is mischief and iniquity.

8 Lying in secret in some village ambush, and stealthily watching, they murder the innocent.

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

9 Like a lion that lurks in a secret lair they lurk intending to catch the defenceless; to seize them, to drag them away in their net.

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

10 Their victims are crushed, sink down to the ground. Under their claws the hapless fall.

He croucheth, he boweth down, and the helpless fall by his strong ones.

11 The wicked say in their hearts that God has forgotten, has hidden his face, will see nothing.

He saith in his heart, God hath forgotten: he hideth his face; he will never see it.

12 Arise, Lord, lift up your hand, do not forget the cry of the wretched.

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

13 Why do the wicked treat God with contempt, and say in their hearts, ‘God doesn’t care’?

Wherefore doth the wicked contemn God, and say in his heart, Thou wilt not require [it]?

14 You have seen the trouble and sorrow; you mark it all, and will take it in hand. The hapless can count on you, helper of orphans.

Thon hast seen [it]; for thou beholdest mischief and spite, to take it into thy hand: the helpless committeth [himself] unto thee; thou hast been the helper of the fatherless.

15 Break the arm of the wicked and evil: search out their sin, till no more be found.

Break thou the arm of the wicked; and as for the evil man, seek out his wickedness till thou find none.

16 The Lord is king forever and ever: the nations will vanish from his land.

The LORD is King for ever and ever: the nations are perished out of his land.

17 Lord, you have heard the desire of the humble, inclining your ear, strengthening their hearts,

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

18 rights you have won for the crushed and the orphan, so no one on earth may strike terror again.

To judge the fatherless and the oppressed, that man which is of the earth may be terrible no more.