Psalm 10

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 helpless.

⁹ He 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.

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

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

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

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

¹⁴ Thou hast seen it; 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.

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

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

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

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