¹ Why, O Lord, do you stand far off?
    Why do you remain hidden in times of trouble?
² In his arrogance the wicked hunts down the poor;
    let him be ensnared by the schemes he has devised.
³ The wicked boasts of his wicked desires;
    he upholds the greedy and renounces the Lord.
⁴ Filled with arrogance, he does not seek God,
    but thinks, “God does not exist.”^[b]
5 The wicked always seems to prosper;
    your judgments are far from his mind,
    and he scoffs at all those who oppose him.
⁶ He says in his heart,^[c] “I will not be swayed;
    I will never experience misfortune.”
⁷ His mouth is filled with curses, deceit, and threats;^[d]
    his tongue breeds evil and malice.
⁸ He lies in wait near the villages,
    and from ambush he slays the innocent;
    his eyes are on the watch for the helpless.
⁹ He lies in wait like a lurking lion,
    ready to strike the helpless;
he snares his victims,
    seizing them in his net.
¹⁰ He crouches and lies low,
    and the poor are overwhelmed by his might.
¹¹ He thinks in his heart,
    “God has forgotten;
    he hides his face and will never see what is happening.”
¹² Arise, O Lord! Lift up your hand, O God!
    Do not forget the afflicted.
¹³ Why should the wicked reject God
    and say in his heart,
    “He will not call me to account”?
¹⁴ But you note our troubles and our grief
    so that you may resolve our difficulties.
The helpless entrusts himself to you;
    you are the recourse of the fatherless.
¹⁵ Break the arms of the sinner and the evildoer;
    seek out the wicked
    until no more endure.^[e]
16 [f]The Lord is King forever and ever;
    the heathen will disappear from his land.
¹⁷ You listen, O Lord, to the longings of the poor;
    you strengthen their courage and heed their prayers.
¹⁸ You ensure justice for the fatherless and the oppressed
    so that no one on earth may fill them with terror.