Psalm 10

¹ Why standest thou afar off, O LORD? 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 imagined.

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

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 covert places doth he murder the innocent: his eyes are privily set against the helpless.

⁹ He lurketh in the covert as a lion in his den: 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 LORD; O God, lift up thine hand: forget not the poor.

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

¹⁴ Thon hast seen it; for thou beholdest mischief and spite, to take it into 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 The LORD is King for ever and ever: the nations are perished out of his land.

¹⁷ LORD, 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 which is of the earth may be terrible no more.