A Prayer for the Overthrow of the Wicked.

1 Why ado You stand afar off, O Lord?

Why bdo You hide 1Yourself in times of trouble?

2 In apride the wicked 1hotly pursue the afflicted;

2Let them be bcaught in the plots which they have devised.

3 For the wicked aboasts of his bheart’s desire,

And 1the greedy man curses and cspurns the Lord.

4 The wicked, in the haughtiness of his countenance, adoes not seek Him.

All his 1thoughts are, “bThere is no God.”

5 His ways 1aprosper at all times;

Your judgments are on high, bout of his sight;

As for all his adversaries, he snorts at them.

6 He says to himself, “aI will not be moved;

1Throughout all generations bI will not be in adversity.”

7 His amouth is full of curses and deceit and boppression;

cUnder his tongue is mischief and wickedness.

8 He sits in the alurking places of the villages;

In the hiding places he bkills the innocent;

His eyes 1stealthily watch for the 2cunfortunate.

9 He lurks in a hiding place as aa lion in his 1lair;

He blurks to catch cthe afflicted;

He catches the afflicted when he draws him into his dnet.

10 He 1crouches, he 2bows down,

And the 3unfortunate fall 4by his mighty ones.

11 He asays to himself, “God has forgotten;

He has hidden His face; He will never see it.”

12 Arise, O Lord; O God, alift up Your hand.

bDo not forget the afflicted.

13 Why has the wicked aspurned God?

He has said to himself, “You will not require it.”

14 You have seen it, for You have beheld amischief and vexation to 1take it into Your hand.

The 2bunfortunate commits himself to You;

You have been the chelper of the orphan.

15 aBreak the arm of the wicked and the evildoer,

1bSeek out his wickedness until You find none.

16 The Lord is aKing forever and ever;

bNations have perished from His land.

17 O Lord, You have heard the adesire of the 1humble;

You will bstrengthen their heart, cYou will incline Your ear

18 To 1vindicate the aorphan and the boppressed,

So that man who is of the earth will no longer cause cterror.