Psalms 10

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Why do the wicked think they can treat God with such contempt? Why do they think that God won't make them accountable?

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.

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 evil: search out their sin, till no more be found.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.