Psalm 10^[a]

¹ Why, Lord, do you stand far off?Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?

² In his arrogance the wicked man hunts down the weak,who are caught in the schemes he devises.³ He boasts about the cravings of his heart;he blesses the greedy and reviles the Lord.⁴ In his pride the wicked man does not seek him;in all his thoughts there is no room for God.⁵ His ways are always prosperous;your laws are rejected by^[b] him;he sneers at all his enemies.⁶ He says to himself, “Nothing will ever shake me.”He swears, “No one will ever do me harm.”

⁷ His mouth is full of lies and threats;trouble and evil are under his tongue.⁸ He lies in wait near the villages;from ambush he murders the innocent.His eyes watch in secret for his victims;

⁹     like a lion in cover he lies in wait.He lies in wait to catch the helpless;he catches the helpless and drags them off in his net.¹⁰ His victims are crushed, they collapse;they fall under his strength.¹¹ He says to himself, “God will never notice;he covers his face and never sees.”

¹² Arise, Lord! Lift up your hand, O God.Do not forget the helpless.¹³ Why does the wicked man revile God?Why does he say to himself,“He won’t call me to account”?¹⁴ But you, God, see the trouble of the afflicted;you consider their grief and take it in hand.The victims commit themselves to you;you are the helper of the fatherless.¹⁵ Break the arm of the wicked man;call the evildoer to account for his wickednessthat would not otherwise be found out.

¹⁶ The Lord is King for ever and ever;the nations will perish from his land.¹⁷ You, Lord, hear the desire of the afflicted;you encourage them, and you listen to their cry,¹⁸ defending the fatherless and the oppressed,so that mere earthly mortalswill never again strike terror.