Gott, lass dir das nicht bieten!

10 Warum, Herr, bist du so weit weg?
    Warum verbirgst du dich, wenn wir dich am nötigsten brauchen?

Gottlose Menschen schrecken vor nichts zurück.
Auf den Schwachen und Hilflosen machen sie Jagd
    und bringen ihn mit ihren hinterlistigen Plänen zur Strecke.
Diese Gauner sind auch noch stolz auf ihre habgierigen Wünsche.
    Doch für Gott haben sie nichts übrig,
    mit wüsten Sprüchen ziehen sie über ihn her.
Hochnäsig behaupten sie: »Gott kümmert es nicht, was wir tun.«
    Ja, sie meinen: »Es gibt überhaupt keinen Gott!«
Noch geht ihnen alles nach Wunsch.
Dass du Gericht halten wirst, lässt sie kalt.
    Sie verhöhnen alle, die sich ihnen in den Weg stellen.
»Uns haut nichts um!«, bilden sie sich ein.
    »Kein Unglück hat uns je getroffen,
    und daran wird sich auch nichts ändern!«
Sobald sie den Mund aufmachen, fluchen, lügen und erpressen sie.
    Wie viel Unheil und Verderben richten sie an!
In der Nähe der Dörfer liegen sie im Hinterhalt
und lauern ihren hilflosen Opfern auf.
    Im Versteck bringen sie die Unschuldigen um.
Wie Löwen im Dickicht liegen sie auf der Lauer,
    um wehrlose Menschen zu überfallen und fortzuschleifen.
10 Sie stürzen sich auf ihre Opfer
    und schlagen sie brutal zusammen.
11 »Was wir tun, interessiert Gott gar nicht«, reden sie sich ein.
    »Er ist blind für das, was geschieht,
    und hat dazu noch ein schlechtes Gedächtnis!«

12 Greif doch ein, Herr! Lass dir das nicht bieten!
    Vergiss die Hilflosen nicht!
13 Warum lässt du es zu,
dass solche Schurken deine Ehre in den Schmutz ziehen?
    Warum dürfen sie sich einbilden,
    dass du sie nie zur Rechenschaft ziehen wirst?
14 Nein, du verschließt deine Augen nicht vor der Not
    und siehst dem Unrecht nicht tatenlos zu.
Die Wehrlosen können sich dir anvertrauen,
    den Waisen kommst du zu Hilfe.
15 Zerbrich die Macht der Gottlosen! Bestrafe sie für ihre Bosheit,
    damit sie nicht weiter Unheil anrichten!

16 Der Herr ist König für immer und ewig!
    Die gottlosen Völker müssen aus seinem Land verschwinden.
17 Die Hilflosen bestürmen dich mit ihren Bitten.
    Du, Herr, hörst ihr Rufen und schenkst ihnen neuen Mut.
18 Du sorgst für das Recht der Unterdrückten und Waisen,
    jeder Gewaltherrschaft auf Erden machst du ein Ende.

Do Not Forget the Afflicted

Lamedh

10 [a]Why (A)do You stand afar off, O Yahweh?
Why (B)do You hide [b]Yourself in times of distress?
In his (C)lofty pride the wicked [c]hotly pursues the afflicted;
[d]Let them be (D)caught in the thoughts which they have devised.

For the wicked (E)boasts of his (F)soul’s desire,
And [e]the greedy man curses and (G)spurns Yahweh.
The wicked, in the haughtiness of his countenance, (H)does not seek Him.
All his [f]thoughts are, “(I)There is no God.”

His ways [g](J)prosper at all times;
Your judgments are on high, (K)out of his sight;
As for all his adversaries, he snorts at them.
He says in his heart, “(L)I will not be shaken;
[h]From generation to generation (M)I will not be in adversity.”

Pe

His (N)mouth is full of curses and deceit and (O)oppression;
(P)Under his tongue is mischief and wickedness.

Ayin

He sits in the [i](Q)places of the villages where one lies in wait;
In the hiding places he (R)kills the innocent;
His eyes [j]stealthily watch for the [k](S)unfortunate.
He lies in wait in a hiding place as (T)a lion in his [l]lair;
He (U)lies in wait to catch (V)the afflicted;
He catches the afflicted when he draws him into his (W)net.
10 He [m]crouches, he [n]bows down,
And the [o]unfortunate fall [p]by his mighty ones.
11 He (X)says in his heart, “God has forgotten;
He has hidden His face; He will never see it.”

Qoph

12 Arise, O Yahweh; O God, (Y)lift up Your hand.
(Z)Do not forget the afflicted.
13 Why has the wicked (AA)spurned God?
He has said in his heart, “You will not require it.”

Resh

14 You have seen it, for You have beheld (AB)mischief and vexation to [q]take it into Your hand.
The [r](AC)unfortunate commits himself to You;
You have been the (AD)helper of the orphan.

Shin

15 (AE)Break the arm of the wicked and the evildoer,
[s](AF)Seek out his wickedness until You find none.

16 Yahweh is (AG)King forever and ever;
(AH)Nations have perished from His land.

Tav

17 O Yahweh, You have heard the (AI)desire of the [t]humble;
You will (AJ)strengthen their heart, (AK)You will cause Your ear to give heed
18 To give justice to the (AL)orphan and the (AM)oppressed,
So that man who is of the earth will no longer cause (AN)terror.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 10:1 This poem continues the acrostic pattern started in Ps 9
  2. Psalm 10:1 Or Your eyes
  3. Psalm 10:2 Lit burn
  4. Psalm 10:2 Or They will be caught
  5. Psalm 10:3 Or blesses the greedy man
  6. Psalm 10:4 Or plots
  7. Psalm 10:5 Lit are strong
  8. Psalm 10:6 Lit To
  9. Psalm 10:8 Lit place of lying in wait
  10. Psalm 10:8 Lit lie hidden
  11. Psalm 10:8 Or poor
  12. Psalm 10:9 Or thicket
  13. Psalm 10:10 Or is crushed
  14. Psalm 10:10 Or is bowed down
  15. Psalm 10:10 Or poor
  16. Psalm 10:10 Or into his claws
  17. Psalm 10:14 Lit give
  18. Psalm 10:14 Or poor
  19. Psalm 10:15 Or May You seek
  20. Psalm 10:17 Or afflicted, cf. Ps 10:12

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

10 Why standest thou afar off, O Lord? why hidest thou thyself in times of trouble?

The wicked in his pride doth persecute the poor: let them be taken in the devices that they have imagined.

For the wicked boasteth of his heart's desire, and blesseth the covetous, whom the Lord abhorreth.

The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts.

His ways are always grievous; thy judgments are far above out of his sight: as for all his enemies, he puffeth at them.

He hath said in his heart, I shall not be moved: for I shall never be in adversity.

His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and fraud: under his tongue is mischief and vanity.

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.

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.