Psalms, 10

1. Why standest thou afar off, O LORD? [why] hidest thou [thyself] in times of trouble?

1. Why, O Lord, do you stand afar? Why hide from us in times of distress?

2. The wicked in [his] pride doth persecute the poor: let them be taken in the devices that they have imagined.

2. The wicked are in power; the weak suffer harassment; the poor become victims of evil schemes.

3. For the wicked boasteth of his heart's desire, and blesseth the covetous, [whom] the LORD abhorreth.

3. Exploiters boast in their power and greed; the covetous blasphemes and defies God.

4. The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek [after God]: God [is] not in all his thoughts.

4. In their pride the wicked say, "There is no God." He sees no further.

5. His ways are always grievous; thy judgments [are] far above out of his sight: [as for] all his enemies, he puffeth at them.

5. The wicked prosper in their ways, your laws are far from their minds; haughtily they sneer at their rivals,

6. He hath said in his heart, I shall not be moved: for [I shall] never [be] in adversity.

6. all of them saying in their heart, "Nothing will trouble me. I am secure, powerful and happy."

7. His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and fraud: under his tongue [is] mischief and vanity.

7. Their mouths are filled with cursing, deceit and threats; spite and mischief are under their tongues.

8. He sitteth in the lurking places of the villages: in the secret places doth he murder the innocent: his eyes are privily set against the poor.

8. They lie in ambush near the villages, murdering the innocent and the unfortunate, spying upon their next victim.

9. He lieth in wait secretly as a lion in his den: he lieth in wait to catch the poor: he doth catch the poor, when he draweth him into his net.

9. The evil one lurks in secret, like a lion in its covert, waiting to seize his prey and drag him off in a net.

10. He croucheth, [and] humbleth himself, that the poor may fall by his strong ones.

10. Lying prone or crouching, he waits and the unfortunate falls into his power.

11. He hath said in his heart, God hath forgotten: he hideth his face; he will never see [it].

11. He thinks to himself: "God has forgotten; he has hidden his face and will never see this."

12. Arise, O LORD; O God, lift up thine hand: forget not the humble.

12. Rise, Lord, O God, raise your hand, do not forget the lowly.

13. Wherefore doth the wicked contemn God? he hath said in his heart, Thou wilt not require [it].

13. Why do the wicked revile God and say, "He cannot make me account"?

14. Thou hast seen [it]; for thou beholdest mischief and spite, to requite [it] with thy hand: the poor committeth himself unto thee; thou art the helper of the fatherless.

14. But you see those in misery, O God, and you take it in hand. The unfortunate commits himself to you; the orphan turns to you for help.

15. Break thou the arm of the wicked and the evil [man]: seek out his wickedness [till] thou find none.

15. Break the power of the wicked - seek out their wickedness till there is none to be found.

16. The LORD [is] King for ever and ever: the heathen are perished out of his land.

16. The Lord is king forever and the pagans have vanished from his land.

17. LORD, thou hast heard the desire of the humble: thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear:

17. For you hear, O Lord, the longings of the lowly, and you strengthen their hearts;

18. To judge the fatherless and the oppressed, that the man of the earth may no more oppress.

18. you give heed to the orphans and the oppressed. Let no human raise from earth and strike terror.