Psalm 10

Psalm 10

¹Why are you so distant, Lord? 

Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble? 

²The wicked person arrogantly pursues oppressed people. 

He will be caught in the schemes that he planned. 

³The wicked person boasts about his selfish desires. 

He blesses robbers, but he curses the Lord. 

⁴He turns up his nose ⸤and says⸥, “God doesn’t care.” 

His every thought ⸤concludes⸥, “There is no God.” 

⁵He always seems to succeed. 

Your judgments are beyond his understanding. 

He spits at all his opponents. 

⁶He says to himself, “Nothing can shake me. 

I’ll never face any trouble.” 

⁷His mouth is full of cursing, deception, and oppression. 

Trouble and wrongdoing are on the tip of his tongue. 

⁸He waits in ambush in the villages. 

From his hiding places he kills innocent people. 

His eyes are on the lookout for victims. 

⁹He lies in his hiding place like a lion in his den. 

He hides there to catch oppressed people. 

He catches oppressed people when he draws them into his net. 

¹⁰⸤His⸥ victims are crushed. 

They collapse, 

and they fall under ⸤the weight of⸥ his power. 

¹¹He says to himself, 

“God has forgotten. 

He has hidden his face. 

He will never see it!” 

¹²Arise, O Lord! 

Lift your hand, O God. 

Do not forget oppressed people! 

¹³Why does the wicked person despise God? 

Why does he say to himself, “God doesn’t care”? 

¹⁴You have seen ⸤it⸥; yes, you have taken note of trouble and grief 

and placed them under your control. 

The victim entrusts himself to you. 

You alone have been the helper of orphans. 

¹⁵Break the arm of the wicked and evil person. 

Punish his wickedness until you find no more. 

¹⁶The Lord is king forever and ever. 

The nations have vanished from his land. 

¹⁷You have heard the desire of oppressed people, O Lord. 

You encourage them. 

You pay close attention to them 

¹⁸in order to provide justice for orphans and oppressed people 

so that no mere mortal will terrify them again.