Psalms10

¹ Why, Lord, do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?

² In his arrogance the wicked man hunts down the weak, who are caught in the schemes he devises.

³ He boasts about the cravings of his heart; he blesses the greedy and reviles the Lord.

⁴ In his pride the wicked man does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God.

⁵ His ways are always prosperous; your laws are rejected by him; he sneers at all his enemies.

⁶ He says to himself, “Nothing will ever shake me.” He swears, “No one will ever do me harm.”

⁷ His mouth is full of lies and threats; trouble and evil are under his tongue.

⁸ He lies in wait near the villages; from ambush he murders the innocent. His eyes watch in secret for his victims;

⁹ like a lion in cover he lies in wait. He lies in wait to catch the helpless; he catches the helpless and drags them off in his net.

¹⁰ His victims are crushed, they collapse; they fall under his strength.

¹¹ He says to himself, “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 does the wicked man revile God? Why does he say to himself, “He won’t call me 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 arm of the wicked man; call the evildoer to account for his 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.