Psalm 10–12

Psalm 10

NEED FOR GOD’S JUSTICE

¹Lord, why do you stand so far away?^h

Why do you hide in times of trouble?ⁱ

²In arrogance the wicked relentlessly pursue their victims;

let them be caught in the schemes they have devised.^j

³For the wicked one boasts about his own cravings;^k

the one who is greedy curses^D and despises the Lord.^l

⁴In all his scheming,

the wicked person arrogantly thinks,^A

“There’s no accountability,

since there’s no God.”^m

⁵His ways are always secure;^B

your lofty judgments have no effect on him;^C

he scoffs at all his adversaries.ⁿ

⁶He says to himself, “I will never be moved—

from generation to generation I will be without calamity.”^o

⁷Cursing, deceit, and violence fill his mouth;

trouble and malice are under his tongue.^p

⁸He waits in ambush near settlements;^q

he kills the innocent in secret places.

His eyes are on the lookout for the helpless;^r

⁹he lurks in secret like a lion in a thicket.

He lurks in order to seize a victim;

he seizes a victim and drags him in his net.

¹⁰So he is oppressed and beaten down;

helpless people fall because of the wicked one’s strength.^s

¹¹He says to himself, “God has forgotten;

he hides his face and will never see.”^t

¹²Rise up, Lord God! Lift up your hand.^u

Do not forget the oppressed.^v

¹³Why has the wicked person despised God?

He says to himself, “You will not demand an account.”^w

¹⁴But you yourself have seen trouble and grief,

observing it in order to take the matter into your hands.^x

The helpless one entrusts himself to you;

you are a helper of the fatherless.^y

¹⁵Break the arm of the wicked, evil person,^z

until you look for his wickedness,

but it can’t be found.^aa

¹⁶The Lord is King forever and ever;^ab

the nations will perish from his land.^ac

¹⁷Lord, you have heard the desire of the humble;

you will strengthen their hearts.

You will listen carefully,^ad

¹⁸doing justice for the fatherless and the oppressed

so that mere humans from the earth may terrify them no more.^ae

Psalm 11

REFUGE IN THE LORD

For the choir director. Of David.

¹I have taken refuge in the Lord.^af

How can you say to me,

“Escape to the mountains^D like a bird!^ag

²For look, the wicked string bows;

they put their arrows on bowstrings

to shoot from the shadows at the upright in heart.^a

³When the foundations are destroyed,

what can the righteous do?”^b

⁴The Lord is in his holy temple;^c

the Lord—his throne is in heaven.^d

His eyes watch; his gaze^A examines everyone.^B

⁵The Lord examines the righteous, but he hates the wicked

and^C those who love violence.^e

⁶Let him rain burning coals^D and sulfur on the wicked;

let a scorching wind be the portion in their cup.^f

⁷For the Lord is righteous; he loves righteous deeds.

The upright will see his face.^g

Psalm 12

OPPRESSION BY THE WICKED

For the choir director: according to Sheminith.^h A psalm of David.

¹Help, Lord, for no faithful one remains;

the loyal have disappeared from the human race.ⁱ

²They lie to one another;

they speak with flattering lips and deceptive hearts.^j

³May the Lord cut off all flattering lips

and the tongue that speaks boastfully.^k

⁴They say, “Through our tongues we have power;

our lips are our own—who can be our master?”^l

⁵“Because of the devastation of the needy

and the groaning of the poor,

I will now rise up,” says the Lord.

“I will provide safety for the one who longs for it.”^m

⁶The words of the Lord are pure words,

like silver refined in an earthen furnace,

purified seven times.ⁿ

⁷You, Lord, will guard us;^F

you will protect us^G from this generation forever.^o

⁸The wicked prowl^H all around,

and what is worthless is exalted by the human race.^p