Psalm 10
1 Why, Lord, do you stand far off?
Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?
2 In their arrogance the wicked hunt down the weak,
catching them in the schemes they devise.
3 They boast about the cravings of their hearts;
they bless the greedy and revile the Lord.
4 In their pride the wicked do not seek him;
in all their thoughts there is no room for God.
5 Their ways are always prosperous;
your laws are rejected by them;
they sneer at all their enemies.
6 They say to themselves, “Nothing will ever shake us.”
They swear, “No one will ever do us harm.”
7 Their mouths are full of lies and threats;
trouble and evil are under their tongues.
8 They lie in wait near the villages;
from ambush they murder the innocent.
Their eyes watch in secret for their victims;
9 like a lion in cover they lie in wait.
They lie in wait to catch the helpless;
they catch the helpless and drag them off in their nets.
10 › The innocent Í are crushed, they collapse;
they fall victim to superior strength.
11 The wicked say to themselves, “God will never notice;
he covers his face and never sees.”
12 Arise, Lord! Lift up your hand, O God.
Do not forget the helpless.
13 Why do the wicked revile God?
Why do they say to themselves,
“He won’t call us to account”?
14 But you, God, see the trouble of the afflicted;
you consider their grief and take it in hand.
The victims commit themselves to you;
you are the helper of the fatherless.
15 Break the arms of the wicked and the evildoers;
call them to account for their wickedness
that would not otherwise be found out.
16 The Lord is King for ever and ever;
the nations will perish from his land.
17 You, Lord, hear the desire of the afflicted;
you encourage them, and you listen to their cry,
18 defending the fatherless and the oppressed,
so that mere earthly mortals
will never again strike terror.
Psalm 10
1 Why, Lord, do you stand far off?
Why do you pay no attention during times of trouble?
2 The wicked arrogantly chase the oppressed;
the oppressed are trapped by the schemes the wicked have dreamed up.
3 Yes, the wicked man boasts because he gets what he wants;
the one who robs others curses and rejects the Lord.
4 The wicked man is so arrogant he always thinks,
“God won’t hold me accountable; he doesn’t care.”
5 He is secure at all times.
He has no regard for your commands;
he disdains all his enemies.
6 He says to himself,
“I will never be upended,
because I experience no calamity.”
7 His mouth is full of curses and deceptive, harmful words;
his tongue injures and destroys.
8 He waits in ambush near the villages;
in hidden places he kills the innocent.
His eyes look for some unfortunate victim.
9 He lies in ambush in a hidden place, like a lion in a thicket;
he lies in ambush, waiting to catch the oppressed;
he catches the oppressed by pulling in his net.
10 His victims are crushed and beaten down;
they are trapped in his sturdy nets.
11 He says to himself,
“God overlooks it;
he does not pay attention;
he never notices.”
12 Rise up, Lord!
O God, strike him down!
Do not forget the oppressed!
13 Why does the wicked man reject God?
He says to himself, “You will not hold me accountable.”
14 You have taken notice,
for you always see one who inflicts pain and suffering.
The unfortunate victim entrusts his cause to you;
you deliver the fatherless.
15 Break the arm of the wicked and evil man!
Hold him accountable for his wicked deeds,
which he thought you would not discover.
16 The Lord rules forever!
The nations are driven out of his land.
17 Lord, you have heard the request of the oppressed;
you make them feel secure because you listen to their prayer.
18 You defend the fatherless and oppressed,
so that mere mortals may no longer terrorize them.