Psalms 10

1Why standest thou afar off, O Jehovah? Why hidest thou thyself in times of trouble?

1Lord, why do you stand so far away? Why do you hide yourself when I am in trouble?

2In the pride of the wicked the poor is hotly pursued; Let them be taken in the devices that they have conceived.

2In their arrogance, the wicked hunt down the poor; let them be caught in the very traps they have planned.

3For the wicked boasteth of his heart’s desire, And the covetous renounceth, yea, contemneth Jehovah.

3For the wicked person brags about his greedy desires; the greedy person curses and rejects the Lord.

4The wicked, in the pride of his countenance, saith, He will not requireit. All his thoughts are, There is no God.

4In his pride, the wicked man does not look for God; in all his thoughts, there is no room for God.

5His ways are firm at all times; Thy judgments are far above out of his sight: As for all his adversaries, he puffeth at them.

5He seems to succeed in everything he does; your laws are far beyond his understanding, and he sneers at all his enemies.

6He saith in his heart, I shall not be moved; To all generations I shall not be in adversity.

6He says to himself, 'Nothing will shake me; I will always be happy and never face trouble.'

7His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and oppression: Under his tongue is mischief and iniquity.

7His mouth is full of curses, lies, and threats; trouble and evil are under his tongue.

8He sitteth in the lurking-places of the villages; In the secret places doth he murder the innocent; His eyes are privily set against the helpless.

8He waits in ambush near the villages; from his hiding places, he murders innocent people. He watches secretly for a helpless victim.

9He lurketh in secret as a lion in his covert; He lieth in wait to catch the poor: He doth catch the poor, when he draweth him in his net.

9He hides like a lion in the bushes; he waits to jump on the poor. He catches the poor and drags them off in his net.

10He croucheth, he boweth down, And the helpless fall by his strong ones.

10He crouches and hides; the helpless fall under his great strength.

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

11He says to himself, 'God has forgotten; he hides his face and will never see what I am doing.'

12Arise, O Jehovah; O God, lift up thy hand: Forget not the poor.

12Arise, Lord! Lift up your hand, O God! Do not forget those who are suffering.

13Wherefore doth the wicked contemn God, And say in his heart, Thou wilt not requireit?

13Why does the wicked man show such contempt for God? Why does he say to himself, 'God won't hold me accountable'?

14Thou hast seenit; for thou beholdest mischief and spite, to requite it with thy hand: The helpless committeth himself unto thee; Thou hast been the helper of the fatherless.

14But you do see; you notice the trouble and grief people cause so that you can take the matter into your hands. The helpless commit themselves to you; you have always been the helper of orphans.

15Break thou the arm of the wicked; And as for the evil man, seek out his wickedness till thou find none.

15Break the power of the wicked and evil person; hold them accountable for their wickedness until it is all gone.

16Jehovah is King for ever and ever: The nations are perished out of his land.

16The Lord is King forever and ever; the godless nations will vanish from his land.

17Jehovah, thou hast heard the desire of the meek: Thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear;

17Lord, you have heard the hopes of the humble; you will encourage them and listen to their cries.

18To judge the fatherless and the oppressed, That man who is of the earth may be terrible no more.

18You will bring justice to the orphans and the oppressed so that mere humans on earth will no longer cause terror.