10 Why, Adonai, do you stand at a distance?
Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?
² The wicked in their arrogance hunt down the poor,
who get caught in the schemes they think up.

³ For the wicked boasts about his lusts;
he blesses greed and despises Adonai.
⁴ Every scheme of the wicked in his arrogance [says],
“There is no God, [so] it won’t be held against me.”
⁵ His ways prosper at all times.
Your judgments are way up there,
so he takes no notice.
His adversaries? He scoffs at them all.
⁶ In his heart he thinks, “I will never be shaken;
I won’t meet trouble, not now or ever.”
⁷ His mouth is full of curses, deceit, oppression;
under his tongue, mischief and injustice.
⁸ He waits near settlements in ambush
and kills an innocent man in secret;
his eyes are on the hunt for the helpless.
⁹ Lurking unseen like a lion in his lair,
he lies in wait to pounce on the poor,
then seizes the poor and drags him off in his net.
¹⁰ Yes, he stoops, crouches down low;
and the helpless wretch falls into his clutches.
¹¹ He says in his heart, “God forgets,
he hides his face, he will never see.”

¹² Arise, Adonai! God, raise your hand!
Don’t forget the humble!
¹³ Why does the wicked despise God
and say in his heart, “It won’t be held against me”?
¹⁴ You have seen; for you look at mischief and grief,
so that you can take the matter in hand.
The helpless commits himself to you;
you help the fatherless.
¹⁵ Break the arm of the wicked!
As for the evil man,
search out his wickedness
until there is none left.

¹⁶ Adonai is king forever and ever!
The nations have vanished from his land.
¹⁷ Adonai, you have heard what the humble want;
you encourage them and listen to them,
¹⁸ to give justice to the fatherless and oppressed,
so that no one on earth will strike terror again.