Add parallel Print Page Options

10 Why do you stand far off, Yahweh?
    Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?
In arrogance, the wicked hunt down the weak.
    They are caught in the schemes that they devise.
For the wicked boasts of his heart’s cravings.
    He blesses the greedy and condemns Yahweh.
The wicked, in the pride of his face,
    has no room in his thoughts for God.
His ways are prosperous at all times.
    He is arrogant, and your laws are far from his sight.
As for all his adversaries, he sneers at them.
    He says in his heart, “I shall not be shaken.
    For generations I shall have no trouble.”
His mouth is full of cursing, deceit, and oppression.
    Under his tongue is mischief and iniquity.
He lies in wait near the villages.
    From ambushes, he murders the innocent.
His eyes are secretly set against the helpless.
He lurks in secret as a lion in his ambush.
    He lies in wait to catch the helpless.
    He catches the helpless when he draws him in his net.
10 The helpless are crushed.
    They collapse.
    They fall under his strength.
11 He says in his heart, “God has forgotten.
    He hides his face.
    He will never see it.”

12 Arise, Yahweh!
    God, lift up your hand!
    Don’t forget the helpless.
13 Why does the wicked person condemn God,
    and say in his heart, “God won’t call me into account?”
14 But you do see trouble and grief.
    You consider it to take it into your hand.
    You help the victim and the fatherless.
15 Break the arm of the wicked.
    As for the evil man, seek out his wickedness until you find none.
16 Yahweh is King forever and ever!
    The nations will perish out of his land.
17 Yahweh, you have heard the desire of the humble.
    You will prepare their heart.
    You will cause your ear to hear,
18     to judge the fatherless and the oppressed,
    that man who is of the earth may terrify no more.

Psalm 10[a]

Why, Lord, do you stand far off?(A)
    Why do you hide yourself(B) in times of trouble?

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

His mouth is full(H) of lies and threats;(I)
    trouble and evil are under his tongue.(J)
He lies in wait(K) near the villages;
    from ambush he murders the innocent.(L)
His eyes watch in secret for his victims;
    like a lion in cover he lies in wait.
He lies in wait to catch the helpless;(M)
    he catches the helpless and drags them off in his net.(N)
10 His victims are crushed,(O) they collapse;
    they fall under his strength.
11 He says to himself, “God will never notice;(P)
    he covers his face and never sees.”(Q)

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

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

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 10:1 Psalms 9 and 10 may originally have been a single acrostic poem in which alternating lines began with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet. In the Septuagint they constitute one psalm.
  2. Psalm 10:5 See Septuagint; Hebrew / they are haughty, and your laws are far from