Psalm 10

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