Psalms 10

1 Why, Jehovah, dost Thou stand at a distance? Thou dost hide in times of adversity,

Lord, why are you so distant? Why do you hide from me in times of trouble?

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

The wicked chase down the poor with impunity. May they be trapped by the evil schemes they themselves invented.

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

For the wicked boast about what they want to do. They praise the greedy, but treat the Lord with contempt.

4 The wicked according to the height of his face, inquireth not. 'God is not!' [are] all his devices.

The wicked are too proud to come to God. In all their thinking they never consider God.

5 Pain do his ways at all times, On high [are] Thy judgments before him, All his adversaries — he puffeth at them.

What they do always seems to go well. They're unaware of God's judgments. They ridicule all their enemies.

6 He hath said in his heart, 'I am not moved,' To generation and generation not in evil.

They tell themselves, “Nothing bad is going to happen to me. I'll never be in trouble!”

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

Their speech is full of cursing, lies, and threats; their tongues are always ready to spread trouble and cause evil.

8 He doth sit in an ambush of the villages, In secret places he doth slay the innocent. His eyes for the afflicted watch secretly,

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 He lieth in wait in a secret place, as a lion in a covert. He lieth in wait to catch the poor, He catcheth the poor, drawing him into his net.

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 He is bruised — he boweth down, Fallen by his mighty ones hath the afflicted.

Their victims are knocked down, laid low. They fall under the strength of the wicked.

11 He said in his heart, 'God hath forgotten, He hath hid His face, He hath never seen.'

They tell themselves, “God won't notice. He's looking the other way. He won't ever see anything.”

12 Arise, O Jehovah! O God, lift up Thy hand! Forget not the humble.

Take a stand, Lord! Raise your hand to strike! Don't forget those who can't defend themselves.

13 Wherefore hath the wicked despised God? He hath said in his heart, 'It is not required.'

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 hast seen, For Thou perverseness and anger beholdest; By giving into Thy hand, On Thee doth the afflicted leave [it], Of the fatherless Thou hast been an helper.

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

Destroy the power of the wicked, those evil people! Call each of them to account until there are none left!

16 Jehovah [is] king to the age, and for ever, The nations have perished out of His land!

Lord, you are King forever and ever! The nations will vanish from their lands.

17 The desire of the humble Thou hast heard, O Jehovah. Thou preparest their heart; Thou causest Thine ear to attend,

Lord, you have heard the longing cries of those who are suffering. You will encourage them, for you will listen to them.

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

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.