Psalm 10
New Catholic Bible
Psalm 10[a]
Prayer for Help against Oppressors
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.
Footnotes
- Psalm 10:1 A prayer of one in trouble and seeking to be rescued, it explores the ways and motives of the wicked and calls on God the King to arise and defend the oppressed.
- Psalm 10:4 In denying the action of Providence the wicked in effect denies God (see Pss 10:13; 14:1b; 36:2f; Zep 1:12), who is some far-off personage (Ps 10:5).
- Psalm 10:6 Heart: see note on Ps 4:8.
- Psalm 10:7 Curses, deceit, and threats: this text, which contains the three most common weapons of the tongue in Israel’s experience, is cited in Rom 3:14. Curses were believed to have real power over those upon whom they were leveled; deceit referred to slander and threats for evil purposes (see 1 Ki 21:8-15).
- Psalm 10:15 See notes on Pss 5:11; 35.
- Psalm 10:16 The Lord is the hope of the righteous (the poor) in a just world, for he is King forever. Because he is faithful to his covenant, he will defeat the heathen for he listens to the longings of the poor and establishes justice for them. Hence, no one on earth is to be feared.
Salmos 10
Palabra de Dios para Todos
Las obras de los perversos
1 SEÑOR, ¿por qué te muestras tan distante?
¿Por qué desapareces en mis momentos de mayor angustia?
2 Los perversos persiguen con toda arrogancia a los justos
y los hacen caer en sus trampas.
3 Los perversos se enorgullecen de sus planes perversos,
y los que tienen muchos deseos de ganar dinero rechazan al SEÑOR.
4 Los perversos dicen que no hay Dios.
No le consultan nada, porque están llenos de soberbia.
Dios no cabe dentro de sus planes.
5 Los malos siempre andan bien;
las decisiones que tú tomas allá en el cielo, no les interesan.
Se burlan y se ríen de sus enemigos.
6 Esos perversos creen que nunca caerán;
que sus acciones no tendrán consecuencias negativas.
7 Constantemente blasfeman,
mienten y agreden con sus palabras.
Siempre están maquinando en contra de los demás.
8 Se esconden en lugares ocultos en las aldeas,
y esperan para matar a gente inocente.
Tienen su vista puesta en los desafortunados.
9 Son como leones agazapados en los matorrales;
listos para agarrar a los desafortunados,
los cuales caen en su trampa.
10 Como leones agazapados,
listos para atacar a su pobre víctima,
la agarran en su trampa y se la llevan.
11 Es entonces cuando esa pobre gente piensa que Dios la ha olvidado
y que a él no le importa lo que les sucede.
12 ¡Levántate SEÑOR!
¡Castiga a esos perversos!
No te olvides de la gente que sufre.
13 Los perversos desprecian a Dios
y piensan que él no los castigará por lo que han hecho.
14 Ellos no saben que tú te das cuenta de todo lo que sucede,
y que ves los problemas y sufrimientos de la gente.
No saben que tú ayudas a los que sufren por culpa de los perversos
y ayudas también a los huérfanos.
15 Dios mío, destruye a los perversos;
acaba con todo el mal que han hecho.
16 El SEÑOR reinará por siempre,
él quitará las naciones de la tierra.
17 SEÑOR, tú escucharás las oraciones de la gente humilde
y le darás ánimo a su corazón;
préstales atención.
18 Protege a los indefensos,
haz justicia a los pobres y oprimidos,
y que el ser humano no cause más violencia sobre la tierra.
Psalm 10
King James Version
10 Why standest thou afar off, O Lord? why hidest thou thyself in times of trouble?
2 The wicked in his pride doth persecute the poor: let them be taken in the devices that they have imagined.
3 For the wicked boasteth of his heart's desire, and blesseth the covetous, whom the Lord abhorreth.
4 The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts.
5 His ways are always grievous; thy judgments are far above out of his sight: as for all his enemies, he puffeth at them.
6 He hath said in his heart, I shall not be moved: for I shall never be in adversity.
7 His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and fraud: under his tongue is mischief and vanity.
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 poor.
9 He lieth in wait secretly as a lion in his den: he lieth in wait to catch the poor: he doth catch the poor, when he draweth him into his net.
10 He croucheth, and humbleth himself, that the poor may fall by his strong ones.
11 He hath said 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 humble.
13 Wherefore doth the wicked contemn God? he hath said 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 poor committeth himself unto thee; thou art the helper of the fatherless.
15 Break thou the arm of the wicked and the evil man: seek out his wickedness till thou find none.
16 The Lord is King for ever and ever: the heathen are perished out of his land.
17 Lord, thou hast heard the desire of the humble: thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear:
18 To judge the fatherless and the oppressed, that the man of the earth may no more oppress.
Psalm 10
New King James Version
A Song of Confidence in God’s Triumph over Evil
10 Why do You stand afar off, O Lord?
Why do You hide in times of trouble?
2 The wicked in his pride [a]persecutes the poor;
(A)Let them be caught in the plots which they have devised.
3 For the wicked (B)boasts of his heart’s desire;
[b]He (C)blesses the greedy and renounces the Lord.
4 The wicked in his proud countenance does not seek God;
[c]God is in none of his (D)thoughts.
5 His ways [d]are always prospering;
Your judgments are far above, out of his sight;
As for all his enemies, he sneers at them.
6 (E)He has said in his heart, “I shall not be moved;
(F)I shall never be in adversity.”
7 (G)His mouth is full of cursing and (H)deceit and oppression;
Under his tongue is trouble and iniquity.
8 He sits in the lurking places of the villages;
In the secret places he murders the innocent;
His eyes are secretly fixed on the helpless.
9 He lies in wait secretly, as a lion in his den;
He lies in wait to catch the poor;
He catches the poor when he draws him into his net.
10 So [e]he crouches, he lies low,
That the helpless may fall by his [f]strength.
11 He has said in his heart,
“God has forgotten;
He hides His face;
He will never see.”
12 Arise, O Lord!
O God, (I)lift up Your hand!
Do not forget the (J)humble.
13 Why do the wicked renounce God?
He has said in his heart,
“You will not require an account.”
14 But You have (K)seen, for You observe trouble and grief,
To repay it by Your hand.
The helpless (L)commits[g] himself to You;
(M)You are the helper of the fatherless.
15 Break the arm of the wicked and the evil man;
Seek out his wickedness until You find none.
16 (N)The Lord is King forever and ever;
The nations have perished out of His land.
17 Lord, You have heard the desire of the humble;
You will prepare their heart;
You will cause Your ear to hear,
18 To [h]do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed,
That the man of the earth may [i]oppress no more.
Footnotes
- Psalm 10:2 hotly pursues
- Psalm 10:3 Or The greedy man curses and spurns the Lord
- Psalm 10:4 Or All his thoughts are, “There is no God”
- Psalm 10:5 Lit. are strong
- Psalm 10:10 Or he is crushed, is bowed
- Psalm 10:10 Or mighty ones
- Psalm 10:14 Lit. leaves, entrusts
- Psalm 10:18 vindicate
- Psalm 10:18 terrify
© 2005, 2015 Bible League International
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

