Psalm 10

Lord,[a][b] why do You stand so far away?(A)
Why do You hide in times of trouble?(B)
In arrogance the wicked relentlessly pursue the afflicted;
let them be caught in the schemes they have devised.(C)

For the wicked one boasts about his own cravings;(D)
the one who is greedy curses[c] and despises the Lord.(E)
In all his scheming,
the wicked arrogantly thinks:[d]
“There is no accountability,
since God does not exist.”(F)
His ways are always secure;[e]
Your lofty judgments are beyond his sight;
he scoffs at all his adversaries.(G)
He says to himself, “I will never be moved—
from generation to generation without calamity.”(H)
Cursing, deceit, and violence fill his mouth;
trouble and malice are under his tongue.(I)
He waits in ambush near the villages;(J)
he kills the innocent in secret places.
His eyes are on the lookout for the helpless;(K)
he lurks in secret like a lion in a thicket.
He lurks in order to seize the afflicted;
he seizes the afflicted and drags him in his net.
10 So he is oppressed and beaten down;
the helpless fall because of his strength.(L)
11 He says to himself, “God has forgotten;
He hides His face and will never see.”(M)

12 Rise up, Lord God! Lift up Your hand.(N)
Do not forget the afflicted.(O)
13 Why has the wicked person despised God?
He says to himself, “You will not demand an account.”(P)
14 But You Yourself have seen trouble and grief,
observing it in order to take the matter into Your hands.(Q)
The helpless entrusts himself to You;
You are a helper of the fatherless.(R)
15 Break the arm of the wicked and evil person;(S)
call his wickedness into account
until nothing remains of it.[f](T)

16 The Lord is King forever and ever;(U)
the nations will perish from His land.(V)
17 Lord, You have heard the desire of the humble;[g]
You will strengthen their hearts.
You will listen carefully,(W)
18 doing justice for the fatherless and the oppressed
so that men of the earth may terrify them no more.(X)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 10:1 Some Hb mss, LXX connect Pss 9–10.
  2. Psalm 10:1 Together these 2 psalms form a partial acrostic.
  3. Psalm 10:3 Or he blesses the greedy
  4. Psalm 10:4 Lit wicked according to the height of his nose
  5. Psalm 10:5 Or prosperous
  6. Psalm 10:15 Lit account You do not find
  7. Psalm 10:17 Some Hb mss, LXX, Syr read afflicted

A Prayer for Help

Why are you far away, Lord?
Why do you hide yourself
    when I am in trouble?
Proud and brutal people
    hunt down the poor.
But let them get caught
    by their own evil plans!

The wicked brag about
    their deepest desires.
Those greedy people hate
    and curse you, Lord.
The wicked are too proud
to turn to you
    or even think about you.
They are always successful,
though they can't understand
    your teachings,
and they keep sneering
    at their enemies.

In their hearts they say,
    “Nothing can hurt us!
We'll always be happy
    and free from trouble.”
(A) They curse and tell lies,
and all they talk about
    is how to be cruel
    or how to do wrong.

They hide outside villages,
waiting to strike and murder
    some innocent victim.
They are hungry lions
    hiding in the bushes,
hoping to catch
    some helpless passerby.
They trap the poor in nets
    and drag them away.
10 They crouch down and wait
    to grab a victim.
11 They say, “God can't see!
    He's got on a blindfold.”

12 Do something, Lord God,
and use your powerful arm
    to help those in need.
13 The wicked don't respect you.
In their hearts they say,
    “God won't punish us!”

14 But you see the trouble
and the distress,
    and you will do something.
The poor can count on you,
    and so can orphans.
15 Now break the power
    of all merciless people.
Punish them for doing wrong
    and make them stop.

16 Our Lord, you will always rule,
but every godless nation
    will vanish from the earth.
17 You listen to the longings
    of those who suffer.
You offer them hope,
and you pay attention
    to their cries for help.
18 You defend orphans
    and everyone else in need,
so that no one on earth
    can terrify others again.

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.

10 На Вечного я уповаю.
    Как вы можете говорить мне:
    «Улетай на гору, как птица!
Вот, нечестивые уже натянули лук,
    положили стрелу на тетиву,
чтобы во тьме стрелять
    в правых сердцем.
Когда устои распались,
    что может сделать праведный?»

Вечный в святом храме Своём,
    Вечный на небесном троне Своём.
Он наблюдает за всем,
    взор Его испытывает смертных.
Вечный испытывает праведных,
    а нечестивых и тех,[a] кто любит насилие,
    ненавидит Его душа.
Он на нечестивых прольёт дождём
    раскалённые угли с горящей серой;
    палящий ветер – их участь.

Вечный справедлив
    и любит праведный суд;
    праведники увидят Его лицо.

Footnotes

  1. 10:5 Или: «Вечный – праведен, и Он испытывает нечестивых, и тех…»